Nine Academics from HKU Science Named 2024 Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers

Learn more about our highly cited researchers: 

Department of Chemistry

Professor Hongjie DAI

Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Professor Dai’s group has been a leader in the areas of nanoscience, nanotechnology and nanomedicine. His work is highly interdisciplinary, bridging chemistry, physics, materials and biomedical sciences.

Professor Renhao DONG

Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Professor Renhao Dong has been engaged in interdisciplinary research based on interface chemistry and polymer chemistry, focusing on the design, synthesis and functions of crystalline polymer materials. Representative research topics include: 1) the development of interface-assisted two-dimensional polymerization methodologies (I2DP), 2) 2D polymer separation membranes (2DPM), 3) framework electronic materials (MOFtronics and COFtronics), and 4) 2D organic-inorganic van der Waals heterostructures (vdWhs). We pursue to promote the development of interfacial synthesis chemistry and advance the basic research and application exploration of functional crystalline polymers in the fields of electronic devices, membrane separation and energy technology.  

Professor Zhengxiao GUO

Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Focused on the synthesis and simulations of highly functional atomic clusters, nanostructures, and materials, Professor Guo’s group combines fundamental design principles with ab initio, molecular dynamics, cellular automata, and finite element simulations and machine learning for materials discovery and device innovation. He has contributed around 300 high-quality journal publications and over 300 conference papers/presentations.

Professor Sir Fraser STODDART

Chair Professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Professor Stoddart brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise in the fields of chemistry, materials science and molecular nanotechnology. Professor Stoddart's ground-breaking research has earned him numerous accolades and awards, including the prestigious 2007 King Faisal International Prize in Science. In 2016, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Bernard L. Feringa and Jean-Pierre Sauvage, for his fundamental investigations on the design and synthesis of molecular machines.

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Department of Earth Sciences

Professor Peng GONG

Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development), HKU

Chair Professor in both Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Science

Professor Gong's major research interests include urbanisation and health, mapping and monitoring of global environmental change, and modelling of environmentally related infectious diseases. 

Professor Guochun ZHAO

Chair Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science

Professor Zhao's research focuses on Metamorphic Petrology, Precambrian Geology and Supercontinents. His research achievements included discoveries of two 1.95-1.85 billion years old continental collisional belts in North China, recognition of global-scale 2.0-1.8 Ga collisional events leading to the assembly of a supercontinent and a new reconstruction of East Asian continental blocks in supercontinent Pangea.

Department of Physics

Professor Wang YAO

Chair Professor, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science

As a global research leader in condensed matter physics, quantum physics and optics, Professor Yao is currently focusing on two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures. He has played a decisive role in creating an important new research direction – valley optoelectronics in 2D materials, which aims to exploit valley, a quantum degree of freedom of electron, in future optoelectronic devices.

Professor Shuang ZHANG

Interim Head and Chair Professor, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science

Chair Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

Professor Zhang’s research focuses on metamaterials and nanophotonics, specifically on how to design artificial photonic structures to manipulate the propagation of light in a way that goes beyond what can be done with traditional optics.

Professor Xiang ZHANG

President and Vice-Chancellor, HKU

Chair Professor in both Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science

Professor Zhang’s research focuses on materials physics, metamaterials and nano-photonics.

For the full list of 2024 Highly Cited Researchers and executive summary, please refer to Clarivate's press release.