With a generous donation from the Li Ka Shing Foundation, the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences (LiHS) was established under the initiative of the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) to provide an environment conducive to cutting-edge scientific research and technological innovation in the life sciences. In recognition of the donor’s philanthropic contribution, the Institute was named after Dr Li Ka-shing.

Formally opened on 7 September 2007, the Institute strives to contribute to the community in the realms of disease management, health education, healthcare training, and medical technology. It promotes interdisciplinary research focused on the broader theme of personal health, with particular emphasis on mechanisms, diagnosis, monitoring, treatment, clinical sciences, and regenerative medicine for health promotion and disease prevention.

With its strategic location at the Prince of Wales Hospital, the Institute benefits from a broad clinical base serving one of the largest catchment areas in Hong Kong, which greatly facilitates translational research. It is envisaged that the Institute will develop into a leading hub of innovation in health sciences.

The Institute is housed in the 11-storey Li Ka Shing Medical Sciences Building and hosts diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, including State Key Laboratories, a Biomedical Computing Centre, an Experimental Animal Core Facility, a Translational Omics Platform and others.

To date, the Institute is home to more than 60 Principal Investigators from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds, whose work spans 15 research themes under the broad areas of “Diseases & Pathobiology” and “New Technologies”. Notable examples include cancers, microbiota and digestive diseases, diabetes and obesity, neuroscience, and molecular diagnostics.