Alumni Kaleidoscope: Thomas Lee - PhD(CENG), Mphil(CENG), BEng(CENG)

Thomas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Having received three degrees from HKUST, he has gained much recognition for his academic excellence, including the Academic Achievement Medal and Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowship.

His research aims to achieve point-of-care and on-site nucleic acid testing, with particular focus on the surface functionalization of nanomaterials (e.g., gold nanoparticles and quantum dots) for closed-tube monitoring of DNA amplification reactions (both isothermal and thermocycling methods).

Dedicated to the whole-person development of his students, Thomas is very much involved in efforts to enhance teaching and learning. He has warm memories of his own student days: "HKUST is where my fondest memories lay. I met my wife and many friends from the volleyball team. My special thanks go to the top-notch faculty members of the Department of Chemical Engineering (currently the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering) who steered me toward higher academic pursuits".