Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, vice-chancellor and president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), is a world-renowned molecular geneticist widely regarded as the Hongkonger closest to winning a Nobel Prize, but he maintains “a calm attitude” about it.
In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Lo appeared dispassionate about whether he would receive the prestigious award. Instead, he credited his success to his team and spoke enthusiastically about his plans at CUHK, including overseeing the construction of a new medical faculty building and sharpening one of its focuses on neuroscience.
Lo, who has won numerous top honours for inventing non-invasive prenatal testing, downplayed speculation about whether he would receive the Nobel Prize, saying he preferred to focus on the work of science.
“I would maintain a calm attitude. What we scientists can do is do science. An award is something beyond your control,” he said.
More than 100 million pregnant women around the world have used Lo’s invention, which has already earned him a few prestigious accolades, including the Lasker Award – often referred to as “America’s Nobel” – the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, and the Future Science Prize. The latter is regarded by some as the Chinese version of the Nobel Prize.
“I’m grateful to my peers for bestowing those honours on me. They are not just my personal achievements, but recognition of the work of my entire team,” he said.