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Professor Tatia M.C. Lee, Chair Professor of Psychological Science and Clinical Psychology and May Professor in Neuropsychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has attained the 9th Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Award (Humanities and Social Sciences) (2nd Prize) from the Ministry of Education (MoE).  This Award recognises Professor Lee's publication "Qigong exercise enhances cognitive functions in the elderly via an interleukin-6-hippocampus pathway: A randomised active-controlled trial" published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity (Vol. 95, 2021).

The Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Humanities and Social Sciences) were established by the MoE in 1995 to recognise outstanding research projects in the disciplines of humanities and social sciences at tertiary institutions in the Mainland.  Subsequently, Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions have also been included in the scheme.  It is the most reputable and influential accolade in the field of social sciences in China, signifying the awardees' remarkable contributions to advancing research and development in higher education.

Professor Lee’s award-winning paper reports a study on the effects of Qigong on brain function in healthy older adults, conducted through a 12-week randomised controlled trial.  Over 12 weeks, the experimental group practised Qigong while the active control group did basic stretching exercises.  The Qigong group demonstrated improved processing speed and sustained attention, a larger hippocampal volume (a brain region crucial for memory), and lower levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6). This protein helps regulate immune responses and is potentially a useful marker of immune system activation. These results suggest that Qigong can benefit brain health in older adults, possibly through its effects on the immune system.

“On behalf of the research team, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Education for this esteemed award. We are deeply honoured by this recognition. It not only affirms our efforts but also motivates us to continue our enduring commitment to research excellence and innovation, contributing to the growth and enrichment of the academic community,” says Professor Lee.

Link to the paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159121001689

Media enquiries:
Ms Alice Wong, Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU (Tel: 3917 1230 / Email: fossres@hku.hk)