HKU School of Biological Sciences Secures RGC Areas of Excellence Funding for Wildlife Trade Research

HKU School of Biological Sciences has secured 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,” led by Professor Juha MERILÄ, Chair Professor of the School of Biological Sciences.

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.

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, with the aim of identifying 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 the handling of related cases.

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.