About C2I

The Centre for Immunology & Infection (C2i) uses novel technology platforms for biomarker discovery and the development of new vaccine and therapeutic strategies.

C2i is the fruit of a long-standing partnership of more than 20 years between the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) and the Institut Pasteur, two major institutions combining their expertise to establish this centre of excellence.

This major initiative, funded by the Innovation and Technology Commission as part of the InnoHK initiative, adopts innovative strategies to confront and mitigate the impact of emerging infectious diseases and transform Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area into a global hub of knowledge and research.

C2i builds on the individual strengths of HKUMed and the Institut Pasteur. HKUMed’s School of Public Health has successful projects under the Area of Excellence programme and Theme-based Research Scheme, while Institut Pasteur is co-ordinator of the Milieu Interieur consortium that has drawn on rich genotype and phenotype datasets from 1,000 people of French descent to generate biomarkers for therapy and vaccine development.

The two institutions also count a strategic partnership that began in 2000 and has since advanced the understanding and treatment of infectious diseases.

C2i is led by Professor Leo Poon (Managing Director), Professor Malik Peiris (Co- Director) and Professor Roberto Bruzzone (Co-director).

Research Strategy

RESEARCH STRATEGY

The Centre for Immunology & Infection's work is centered around four major research programs to face public health challenges and make Hong Kong a global center of excellence for precision medicine population strategies and innovative interventions targeting emerging infectious diseases.

We aim to characterize immune responses to infectious agents and their components in a healthy Asian population, develop new vaccine platforms for influenza, new strategies to monitor mosquito-borne viruses and new treatments for lethal respiratory virus infections.

Taken together, the four programs of C2i address major unmet global and local public health needs and enhance Hong Kong’s knowledge-based economy, while providing state-of-the-art training for the local population. Ultimately, the outcomes are expected to advance health by improving the effectiveness of future public health initiatives.