RESEARCH  DESCRIPTION

Prof. Kwok-Fai So is currently the director of GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration. He became the member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences since 1999. He is also chair professor in Ophthalmology Department, and Jessie Ho Professor in Neuroscience, in the University of Hong Kong. He is the co-director of the State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at HKU, and co-chairman of the board of director of the China Spinal Cord Injury Network. He received Ph.D. degree from MIT in 1977 and is one of the pioneers in the field of axonal regeneration in visual system. He is the first one to show long-distance regeneration of retinal ganglion cell axons in adult mammalians by peripheral nerve graft.

Currently, Prof. So’s research interest include using both pharmaceutical and non-drug approaches to promote central nervous regeneration, and to improve psychiatric disorders. His research groups have identified neuroprotective and regenerative factors including exercise, small molecules from Chinese herbs, physical therapy and novel bio-materials. He has authored more than 300 original research articles, which have been cited for more than 6500 times. He won the National Natural Science Award of China in 1995 and has been elected as US National Academy of Invention Fellow in 2015.

DEGREES & EDUCATION  

BSc, Northeastern University (US), 1973

PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1977

RECENT SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

(# Corresponding authors)

1. (2022) In vivo neuronal and astrocytic activation of somatosensory cortex by acupuncture stimuli. Cheng X#, Chen K#, Cheng T, Lai PT, Zhang L#, So KF#, Yang ES#. Neural Regeneration Research. 17(11):2526-2529.

2. (2021) Treadmill Exercise Relieves Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Cognitive Impairments in Mice Via Activating Protein Phosphatase 2A. Zhang W, Ou H, Zhang B, Zheng M, Yan L, Chen Y, So KF#, Zhang L#. Neuroscience Bulletin. 37(10):1487-1492.

3. (2021) A Visual Circuit Related to the Nucleus Reuniens for the Spatial Memory Promoting Effects of Light Treatment. Huang X, Huang P, Huang L, Hu Z, Liu X, Shen J, Xi Y, Yang Y, Fu Y, Tao Q, Lin S, Xu A, Xu F, Xue T, So KF#, Li H#, Ren C#. Neuron. 109(2):347-362.

4. (2019) Exercise training improves motor skill learning via selective activation of mTOR. Chen K, Zheng Y, Wei J, Ouyang H, Huang X, Zhang F, Lai CSW, Ren C, So KF#, Zhang L#. Science Advances. 5(7):eaaw1888.

5. (2019) Corticosterone-mediated microglia activation affects dendritic spine plasticity and motor learning functions in minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Sun X, Han R, Cheng T, Zheng Y, Xiao J, So KF#, Zhang L#. Brain Behavior and Immunity. 82:178-187.

6.    (2019) Activation of cortical somatostatin interneurons rescues synapse loss and motor deficits after acute MPTP infusion. Chen K, Yang G#, So KF#, Zhang L#. iScience. 17:230-241.

7. (2017) A retinoraphe projection regulates serotonergic activity and looming-evoked defensive behaviour. Huang L, Yuan T, Tan M, Xi Y, Hu Y, Tao Q, Zhao Z, Zheng J, Han Y, Xu F, Luo M, Sollars PJ, Pu M, Pickard GE, So KF#, Ren C#. Nature Communications. 8:14908.

8. (2017) Treadmill exercise suppressed stress-induced dendritic spine elimination in mouse barrel cortex and improved working memory via BDNF/TrkB pathway. Chen K, Zhang L, Tan M, Lai CSW, Li A, Ren C#, So KF#. Translational Psychiatry. 7(3):e1069.

9. (2016) Long-read sequencing and de novo assembly of a Chinese genome. Shi LL, Guo Y, Dong C, Huddleston J, Yang H, Han X, Fu A, Li Q, Li N, Gong S, Lintner KE, Ding Q, Wang Z, Hu J, Wang D, Wang F, Wang L, Lyon GJ, Guan Y, Shen Y, Evgrafov OV, Knowles JA, Thibaud-Nissen F, Schneider V, Yu CY, Zhou L, Eichler EE, So KF#, Wang K#. Nature Communications. 7:12065.

10. (2014) Physical exercise-induced hippocampal neurogenesis and antidepressant effects are mediated by the adipocyte hormone adiponectin. Yau SY, Li A, Hoo RL, Ching YP, Christie BR, Lee TMC, Xu A#, So KF#. PNAS. 111(44):15810-5.