News

Congratulating Dr. Rongjun Yu for Securing the Healthy Longevity Catalyst Award

6-11-2024

We are delighted to share that Dr. Rongjun Yu, Associate Professor in the Department of Education Studies and affiliated with the Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health at the Academy of Wellness and Human Development (WHD), has recently been awarded a research grant of 389,000 HKD from the Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (Hong Kong) by the Research Grants Council (RGC). The grant will support his research project titled "Brain Connectome of exceptional longevity: magnetic resonance imaging of (near) centenarians in Hong Kong."

The study aims to delve into the potential factors that allow near centenarians and centenarians to delay dementia-related changes, offering insights into the protective elements that contribute to age-related cognitive resilience. Utilizing the new 3T MRI facility, Dr. Rong’s team will perform multimodal brain imaging on individuals over 95, including dementia-free centenarians and younger participants. By creating Asia's first brain imaging centenarian dataset, the study seeks to identify brain network signatures associated with longevity and detect neural features offering protection against cognitive decline. These findings are expected to enhance our understanding of successful aging and provide models for neuroprotection from dementia.

Congratulations to Dr. Rongjun YU on this recognition. We look forward to the significant contributions his research will make to the understanding of longevity, brain health, and the intricate link between aging and cognition.