Prof. MA Chi Him Eddie (馬智謙)

Dr Eddie Ma obtained his BSc from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (1997) and his M.Phil. from the University of Hong Kong (2000). In 2005, he obtained his DPhil from the University of Oxford. He then moved to United States for postdoctoral training at the Childrens Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School with Professor Clifford Woolf before joining the City University of Hong Kong in 2011. He was a recipient of a Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowship at The University of Hong Kong (1997–1999), a Croucher Foundation Scholarship at the University of Oxford (2001–2004) and a fellowship at Harvard University (2005–2007).

• Neuroscience
• Peripheral and Central Nervous System Regeneration
• Axonal Regeneration
• Animal Behavioral Studies
• Translational Medicine
• Molecular and Cell Biology

Research Interests and Projects

The central nervous system fails to regenerate whilst peripheral nervous system is able to regrow after injury provided injured axons are aligned with their former pathways and close to their targets. However, proximal nerve lesions (i.e. Human brachial plexus Injury), which require long distance axonal regeneration as well as those that involve complete transection of the nerves, generally have poor outcomes with minimal clinically motor recovery. Successful regeneration depends on both extrinsic cues in the environment and the activation of intrinsic growth capacity to promote regrowth. Recent reports have shown that removal of extracellular inhibitory cues is not sufficient to promote successful regeneration.

Dr Ma’s lab focuses mainly on understanding the intrinsic molecular machinery necessary for central and peripheral nervous system regeneration after injury using a multidisciplinary approach spanning cell biology, molecular biology, anatomy, animal behavior and genetics. They examine the growth capacity of injured neurons and functional recovery using in vitro cell culture and in vivo animal model respectively. Their ultimate goal is to develop new strategy to promote axonal regeneration after injury, and to improve our understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

News

31 Aug 2016

Congratulations to Bennett Au for being awarded the Research Tuition Scholarship and Outstanding Academic Performance Award.

Congratulations to Pallavi Asthana for being awarded the Outstanding Academic Performance Award.

Well done both of you!

19 May 2016

Big congratulations to my PhD students Bennett Au (with poster), Pallavi Asthana (third from the left), and Raza Chand (second from the right) for awarding the Best Poster Presentation in the Neuroscience Symposium 2016 “Nature and Nature in Brain Functions”, Annual Scientific Conference of the HK Society of Neurosciences held at HKU Medical School . Good jobs guys!

20 April 2016

A recent interview about my research work by The Croucher Foundation entitled “Renewing the nervous system.”
https://projects.croucher.org.hk/news/renewing-the-nervous-system