Researchers from across Liverpool recently travelled to Hong Kong for the launch of a new programme of work supported by an award of nearly £250,000 from The Shaw Foundation – one of Asia’s most distinguished philanthropic institutions.

This pump-priming funding will support new research partnerships focused on tackling emerging infections and pandemic threats. The initiative aims to further strengthen collaboration between The Pandemic Institute’s (TPI) three UK academic founding partners – the University of Liverpool, the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, and Liverpool John Moores University – and counterparts at three leading Hong Kong institutions: the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Funding was awarded via a competitive call and will be distributed across nine collaborative projects, with Principal Investigators drawn from all six institutions. The projects will address a range of high-consequence and emerging infectious threats, including seasonal and pandemic influenza, MERS coronavirus, Ebola, COVID-19, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, enteroviruses causing brain infections, and hepatitis E.

Professor Tom Solomon, Director of The Pandemic Institute said:

“This award marks an important step in advancing international cooperation to better understand and respond to infectious disease threats and we are hugely grateful for this generous award from The Shaw Foundation. This funding will enable us to address key viral and bacterial hazards with epidemic or pandemic potential. Our teams are applying complementary scientific and technological approaches – including artificial intelligence and machine learning, novel diagnostics, therapeutic innovation, epidemiological modelling, genomic analysis, and disease mechanism studies – to strengthen preparedness and response capacity worldwide.”

Dr Raymond Chan, Chairman of The Shaw Foundation said:

“We are very pleased to be able to support and launch a new initiative between the world-renowned Liverpool Pandemic Institute and three of our own universities: University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.  During COVID, Hong Kong universities made vital contributions through research and education, playing a key role to combat the disease. As we look ahead to the challenges of future outbreaks, we recognize that international collaboration is more essential than ever. We hope this programme paves the way for more international effort to combat a foe which operates without boundaries.”

The official launch event was held at the British Consulate, and was attended by local dignitaries, Hong Kong based University of Liverpool alumni, along with the Principal Investigators from each participating institution. As well as the launch event, attendees took part in a two-day scientific programme, during which cross-institutional teams met to work on their collaborative projects. The sessions were held at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Hong Kong and concluded with a cultural excursion designed to foster team building and strengthen collaborative ties.

Funded projects:

Discovery of Synergistic Anti-Influenza Drug Combinations via Machine Learning
Influenza continues to pose one of the greatest pandemic threats, and current treatments are limited. This project is using artificial intelligence to quickly identify combinations of existing drugs that could work better together against the virus.

• UK Principal Investigator: Professor Saye Khoo, University of Liverpool
• HK Principal Investigator: Professor Shuofeng Yuan, University of Hong Kong

Leveraging Antibody Discoveries for the Development of MERS-CoV Rapid Diagnostics
MERS coronavirus is a high-risk virus with a high death rate and ongoing outbreaks in the Middle East. At present, there is no rapid test available. This project is testing specially designed antibodies to see which work best in a simple “pregnancy-style” lateral flow test for MERS.

• UK Principal Investigator: Dr Caitlin Thompson, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
• HK Principal Investigator: Dr Hin Chu, University of Hong Kong

Epidemiological Surveillance and Public Health Risk Assessment of Food-Mediated Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
Drug resistance is spreading not only in hospitals but also in communities, and food can be one route of transmission. This project is linking data from food, wastewater, and patients to build the first integrated picture of how resistant bacteria move through the community.

• UK Principal Investigator: Dr Edward Hill, University of Liverpool
• HK Principal Investigator: Professor Gilman Siu, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Advanced Small RNA Therapeutics for Influenza A Virus Brain Injury
Severe influenza can sometimes cause life-threatening brain complications, but there are no treatments for this. This project is testing a new idea: using tiny RNA molecules to calm brain inflammation and protect the blood–brain barrier.

• UK Principal Investigator: Dr Cordelia Dunai, University of Liverpool
• HK Principal Investigator: Dr Keith C.L. Lee, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Using AI to Predict the Evolution of High-Consequence Viral Threat Agents
One of the biggest challenges in pandemics is how quickly viruses evolve – often outpacing vaccines and treatments. This project is developing artificial intelligence tools that can “look ahead” to predict how a virus is likely to change.

• UK Principal Investigator: Professor Julian Hiscox, University of Liverpool
• HK Principal Investigator: Professor Maggie Wang, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Investigating the Genomic Variations of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) from Clinical Settings
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global crisis, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are among the most dangerous, often resistant to last-line antibiotics. In Hong Kong, CPE infections have risen sharply in recent years. This project will collect resistant bacteria from hospitals in Hong Kong and Liverpool, sequence their genomes, and study how resistance genes spread and evolve.

• UK Principal Investigator: Dr Ismini Nakouti, Liverpool John Moores University
• HK Principal Investigator: Dr Qing Xiong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Studying Enteroviral Neuroinvasion Mechanisms Using In Vitro Blood–Brain Barrier Models
Enteroviruses can invade the brain and cause serious illnesses such as meningitis, paralysis, and even fatal complications, yet we still don’t fully understand how they cross the brain’s protective barrier. This project will use advanced “organ-on-chip” models of the blood–brain barrier to mimic how viruses interact with brain cells.

• UK Principal Investigator: Dr Claire Hetherington, University of Liverpool
• HK Principal Investigator: Dr Philip Man Lung Yeung, University of Hong Kong

Monoclonal Antibody Toolkit for Hepatitis E Virus (HEV)
Hepatitis E is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. A new rat-derived strain has crossed into humans, with outbreaks in Hong Kong and beyond, but current diagnostic tests cannot reliably detect it. This project will generate a toolkit of monoclonal antibodies that can detect both human and rat hepatitis E viruses.

• UK Principal Investigator: Dr Richard Urbanowicz, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
• HK Principal Investigator: Dr Siddharth Sridhar, University of Hong Kong

Saliva Testing for Emerging Pathogens: Gaps, Opportunities and Evaluation for Use
During outbreaks, traditional swab or blood tests can be invasive, uncomfortable, and difficult to scale. Saliva offers a simple, non-invasive alternative for diagnosing infections, but its potential is underused. This project will explore how saliva could be used to test for high-risk pathogens such as avian influenza or chikungunya.

• UK Co-Principal Investigators: Dr Bhagteshwar Singh, University of Liverpool and Dr Rachel Byrne, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
• HK Principal Investigator: Professor Kelvin To, University of Hong Kong