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PI: Po-Chun Hsu, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
Partner Organizations: Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI)
With rising global temperatures and extreme heat posing unprecedented challenges to our health, productivity, and economy, the research, development, and broad deployment of revolutionary personal cooling solutions are poised to become the next key technologies. This project develops REDUC-Tex (Radiative/Evaporative DUal-function Cooling Textile), the first textile technology combining true sub-ambient passive daytime radiative cooling with evaporative cooling performance. Two primary objectives guide this work: (1) Develop pilot-scale manufacturing of REDUC-Tex with >95% solar reflectivity while keeping the moisture-wicking properties. (2) Establish industry standards for radiative cooling textile evaluation. We aim to unify various stakeholders by de-risking the technology-to-market process through the demonstration of real, ready-to-manufacture products and consensus-based, third-party verifiable testing standards.
PI: Cheng Chin, Department of Physics
Partner Organizations: National Taiwan University (NTU), National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), Academia Sinica
The University of Chicago–Taiwan Student (UCTS) Exchange Program is a bilateral summer research initiative designed to foster long-term academic collaboration and talent development between the University of Chicago and leading universities and research institutions in Taiwan. Since its launch in 2024, UCTS has grown rapidly, engaging over 150 principal investigators in Taiwan and more than 60 faculty members at UChicago. In 2026, the program will expand to include the social sciences, business, arts and humanities, and social work. The 2026 cohort will include 55 students—40 from Taiwan and 15 from UChicago—supported by strong institutional partnerships with National Taiwan University, National Cheng Kung University, National Tsing Hua University, and Academia Sinica.
PI: Siwei Chen, Department of Human Genetics; Junhan Zhao, Pediatrics, Biomedical Informatics, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Partner Organizations: City University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development (Japan), National Taiwan University
Data-driven biomedical research and AI-enabled medicine are undergoing rapid global transformation. The PIs will lead the Pan-Asian Health Data and AI Collaborative, establishing a durable international framework for responsible, scalable, and privacy-preserving biomedical research. Anchored at the UChicago Hong Kong Francis and Rose Yuen Campus with the City University of Hong Kong as a core partner, the initiative will engage biobanks and academic medical centers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore as founding members. The collaborative will develop and pilot frameworks for federated learning, secure data sharing, standardized data harmonization, and ethical AI governance. Expected outcomes include consensus data governance frameworks, shared regulatory roadmaps, joint publications, and scalable technical infrastructure for multinational biomedical studies.
PI: Eugene Chang, Department of Medicine
Partner Organizations: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, National Taiwan University, Kyorin University (Tokyo, Japan), Asahikawa Medical University (Japan), Capital Medical University (Beijing, China), Zhou Pu Hospital, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sunway University (Selangor, Malaysia), Mahidol University (Bangkok, Thailand), Korea Food Research Institute (Korea)
Life expectancy has increased worldwide over the last century, which has correlated with the development of more chronic and degenerative disorders (dementia, frailty, etc.), diminished quality of life, and rising healthcare costs. We propose a PGFA-supported meeting of Pan-Asian partners at the Hong Kong Yuen Campus to create a collaborative network to prospectively recruit, follow, and sample healthy and ARD elderly subjects. Samples would be subjected to multi-omic analyses to provide input data needed to develop and train AI-driven Large Science Model (LSM) "digital twins" of study subjects capable of forecasting future health outcomes with accuracy.
PI: Micah Prochaska, Department of Medicine
Partner Organizations: The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Ministry of Health, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (HKAM)
This conference in Hong Kong will convene faculty, medical residents, and students from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine (HKAM), and the University of Chicago to examine the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on normative ethical clinical practices in medicine. Through research talks, panel discussions, and case studies, this conference will address how AI integration is reshaping culturally distinct ethical clinical norms and decision-making within Hong Kong and the United States. The conference will foster cross-cultural dialogue, publish conference proceedings in a peer-reviewed medical ethics journal, and generate actionable recommendations regarding AI in medicine.
PI: Le Shen, Department of Pathology
Partner Organizations: The University of Hong Kong, South China Agricultural University, Keio University, Peking University
Organoids are miniature, lab-grown cellular structures that mimic native tissue organization, revolutionizing biomedical research by providing unprecedented models for human development, disease, and drug discovery. This workshop, co-hosted by Hong Kong University, South China Agricultural University, and the University's Organoid and Primary Culture Research Core with the support of the Hong Kong Center, will strategically connect experts with leading scientists from Hong Kong, mainland China, and other parts of East and Southeast Asia. Spanning two days, the workshop will include keynote lectures, topic-focused sessions, panel discussions, and lab tours.
Research Projects
PI: Jean Decety, Department of Psychology
Partner Organizations: Nagoya University, Kwansei Gakuin University
This project examines how cultural norms shape moral values and compassionate judgment in end-of-life decision-making. Focusing on three foundational moral commitments—personal autonomy, the sanctity of life, and human connection—it examines how individuals evaluate requests from terminally ill patients experiencing intense suffering. Through comparative research in the US and Japan, the project integrates dispositional factors such as empathy, moral commitments, and social closeness, with situational influences including culturally specific expectations surrounding care, responsibility, and compassion at the end of life. By bridging cross-cultural developmental moral psychology with normative bioethical theory, the findings will have practical relevance for medical education, social policy, and clinical training.
PI: Bozhi Tian, Department of Chemistry
Partner Organizations: Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI)
Wearable skin-care technologies are increasingly important for managing oxidative stress, inflammation, and chronic skin damage, yet existing approaches rely on passive materials or externally delivered therapeutics with limited spatial and temporal control. This project proposes a new class of hydrogel–textile hybrid wearable devices that integrate textile-based microelectrodes for sustainable, conformal skin care applications. In collaboration with the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI), we will co-develop textile electrode architectures compatible with hydrogel electrolytes, wearable form factors, and scalable manufacturing. Outcomes will include prototype wearable devices, joint datasets, and the groundwork for future clinical, industrial, and translational research in wearable skin therapeutics.
PI: Julie Chu, Department of Anthropology
Partner Organizations: National Tsinghua University (NTHU)
Technology's Gardeners: Oral Histories of Supporting Enterprises in Taiwan's Science Parks is a collaborative project led by scholars at the University of Chicago and National Tsinghua University. While existing oral histories on the semiconductor industry tend to focus on leading entrepreneurs, inventors, venture capitalists, and policymakers, no research has systematically collected the distinct historical perspectives and experiences of science park management agencies and the infrastructural supply partnerships fundamental to the success of Taiwan's semiconductor industry. This project will build (1) an oral history database along with (2) an interactive virtual exhibit about the formation of Taiwan's science park technological clusters from the perspective of the industry's least understood yet essential actors.
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