ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2164-4281
Scopus Author ID: 7401860738
Google Scholar Profile: WMutl9oAAAAJ

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Professor Kenneth Leung is currently the Director of State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health (former SKL of Marine Pollution), Chair Professor of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry at Department of Chemistry (CHEM) and Associate Dean (Outreach & Internationalisation) at College of Science (CSCI) in the City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK). He served as Interim Dean of School of Energy and Environment (April 2024-April 2025), Associate Dean (Research & Postgraduate Education) at CSCI (September 2022-March 2024) and Acting Head of CHEM (December 2021-March 2023) in CityUHK. 

He accomplished his Higher Diploma in Applied Sciences (Environmental Science & Technology) with distinction at the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong in 1992, a BSc degree in Applied Environmental Sciences with first class honours at the University of Portsmouth in 1993, and a MPhil degree in Environmental Science at CityUHK in 1996. As a recipient of the Swire’s James Henry Scott PhD Scholarship, he received doctoral training at the University of Glasgow and obtained his PhD in Marine Ecotoxicology in 2000. He was subsequently awarded The Croucher Foundation Fellowship, enabling his postdoctoral study in ecological risk assessment of industrial chemicals at Royal Holloway, University of London (2000-2001).

He firstly joined the University of Hong Kong (HKU) as Research Assistant Professor in January 2002 and was promoted to Assistant Professor, Associate Professor (Tenured) and Professor in 2003, 2009 and 2013, respectively. During his tenure at HKU (January 2002 - July 2020), he also served as a Research Scientist at the Swire Institute of Marine Science (2002-2020), the Warden of Morrison Hall (2011-2017), the Associate Dean (Research and Graduate Studies) at Faculty of Science (2014-2016) and Acting/Interim Director of School of Biological Sciences (2018-2019). He is a founding Editor-in-Chief of Regional Studies in Marine Science, and a Co-Editor-in-Chief of Marine Pollution Bulletin, while serving on Editorial Boards of Environmental Science & Technology and Fundamental Research.

Professor Leung is passionate about finding ways to protect the marine environment and conserve biodiversity. His long-term career goal is to improve environmental quality through science and education. He trained eight MPhil and 44 PhD graduates. His research interests encompass marine pollution, ecotoxicology, environmental risk assessment, marine ecology, biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration. So far, he has published over 370 peer-reviewed articles in these areas.  Some of his works appear in Science, Nature Water, Nature Cities, Nature Communications, National Science Review, PNAS, Environmental Science & Technology, and Water Research.  

In recognition of his contributions to aquatic ecology and environmental toxicology in Asia-Pacific region, he was awarded the 19^th Biwako Prize for Ecology by the Ecological Society of Japan, and conferred as a Fellow of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) in 2017. In 2018, he was selected as one of the top 100 Asian Scientists by Asian Scientist Magazine. In 2022, he was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. Locally, he was conferred as Founding Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals, and Adjunct Fellow of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers in 2015 and 2025, respectively. Owning to his exemplary contributions to research and professional education, CityUHK conferred him with The President's Award in 2022. Since joining CityUHK, he has received numerous innovation awards, including Special Prize and Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury at the 49^th Geneva International Exhibition of Invention (2023), Gold Medal of the Asia International Innovative Award (2023), Gold Award of the Hong Kong Green Innovation Award (2023), Dayu Water Conservancy Science and Technology Progress Award (2nd Class) (2024) and Halcrow Prize of the Institution of Civil Engineers in the UK (2025).

He is currently serving as an expert member in various advisory committees (e.g. Chairman of Advisory Council on Food and Environmental Hygiene, Chairman of Lantau Conservation Fund Advisory Committee, and Deputy Chairman of Advisory Council on the Environment) for the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). In recognition of his professional achievements and dedicated community services, he was selected as one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” for Hong Kong by Junior Chamber International in 2010.  The HKSAR Government appointed him as a Justice of the Peace in 2018, and honoured him with the Bronze Bauhinia Star in 2025 for his long and dedicated track record of serving in advisory bodies.