HKU School of Biological Sciences Receives RGC Exploratory Funding for Wildlife Trade Research

Professor Juha MERILÄ (left) and collaborators

The HKU School of Biological Sciences has been awarded a one-year exploratory funding under the Research Grants Council’s Areas of Excellence (AoE) Scheme 2026/27 for the project “Centre for Safe, Sustainable and Legal Wildlife Trade”. The project is spearheaded by Professor Juha Merilä, Chair Professor of the School of Biological Sciences, who was recently recognised as the foremost scholar (#1) in the ‘Best Ecology and Evolution Scientists 2026 in China’ ranking by Research.com.

An evolutionary biologist, Professor Merilä’s research focuses on biodiversity, species adaptation and how organisms respond to environmental change. The research will bring together interdisciplinary expertise to tackle major challenges arising from illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade.

Funded with an exploratory one-year grant, the project will focus on three key areas:

AI-powered tools to combat illegal wildlife trade
The team will develop AI-powered smartphone applications that combine analysis of animal appearance, genetics, and behaviour to help frontline enforcement officers rapidly identify species and detect wild animals being illegally passed off as captive-bred.

Early warning for emerging infectious disease risks
The team will proactively screen wildlife from pet markets, wet markets, animal release sites, and customs seizures for zoonotic pathogens, aiming to identify potential cross-species transmission risks before they spread to human populations.

Reducing demand and strengthening legal enforcement
The team will explore ways to reduce demand for endangered species used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, while working with relevant government departments and the judiciary to strengthen the legal basis for combating illegal wildlife trade and improve how related cases are handled.

This achievement highlights the School’s research strength in biodiversity, conservation and environmental change, and its commitment to applying scientific expertise to pressing environmental and societal challenges.