Prof. Nancy IP, President and The Morningside Professor of Life Science at HKUST, received the 2026 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences on November 6 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. The award recognizes her pioneering contributions to neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease research. UNESCO honored Prof. Ip as an internationally renowned neuroscientist whose research has significantly advanced the understanding of brain function and neurodegenerative diseases.
Prof. Ip's research team has made significant discoveries of novel biomarkers and genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. They developed an innovative blood-based diagnostic technology that enables earlier detection and monitoring of the disease. Additionally, her team has made pioneering advances in gene therapy research that have opened new avenues for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. These achievements have been recognized globally, and her work has been published in numerous scholarly papers.
Upon receiving the award, Prof. Ip expressed her gratitude to her research team, collaborators, and colleagues, and thanked HKUST for its support throughout her scientific journey. She emphasized that the recognition belongs not only to her but also to the many talented and dedicated team members who have contributed to these achievements. Prof. Ip highlighted the importance of global scientific collaboration and nurturing future generations of researchers.
Prof. Ip has devoted over three decades to advancing research on neurodegenerative diseases. To date, she has published over 350 scholarly papers and holds 144 patents. Her work has significantly deepened scientific understanding of intercellular communication in the nervous system, synaptic signaling, and the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. Her research team has achieved breakthroughs in identifying protein targets associated with these disorders.
Prof. Ip led her team in establishing a large-scale Chinese Alzheimer’s disease biobank, integrating clinical data, neuroimaging information, and multi-omics datasets from Chinese populations. The team successfully identified multiple genetic risk factors prevalent among Chinese individuals, providing important scientific insights into disease mechanisms. These findings have laid a foundation for the development of precision diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Prof. Ip and her team have made significant advances in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and the clinical translation of related research. They co-developed a highly accurate, minimally invasive, and efficient blood-based diagnostic test that can aid early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. The technology has been adopted by multiple healthcare institutions in Hong Kong and has since been expanded into community settings.
Prof. Ip is an internationally acclaimed scientist and President of HKUST. She concurrently serves as Director of the State Key Laboratory of Nervous System Disorders and Director of the Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases. She has received numerous honors, including the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award and recognition by Nature as one of China’s “Ten Science Stars”.
Key points
- Prof. Nancy IP received the 2026 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences.
- Her research has significantly advanced the understanding of brain function and neurodegenerative diseases.
- Prof. Ip has published over 350 scholarly papers and holds 144 patents.
