The Gerald Choa Neuroscience Institute (GCNI) was established through a generous donation from Mrs. Peggy Choa Leong Kwai Chiu, wife of Prof. Gerald Choa, the founding dean of CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine. Prof. Choa was a distinguished physician with expertise and strong interest in neurology whose life, as Prof. Arthur Li eloquently described in his eulogy, became inextricably linked with medicine from his early years. His expertise and superb clinical acumen gave him keen awareness of Hong Kong’s need for a world-class neuroscience research facility.

His vision for such an institute at CUHK became reality through the dedicated efforts and selfless commitment of Mrs. Peggy Choa Leong Kwai Chiu over decades, whom he met while working at Queen Mary Hospital and who later became his beloved wife and partner for life. Prof. Choa’s enduring legacy embodies a life dedicated to medicine, with complete disregard for worldly fame or earthly riches. These values, alongside his natural leadership, tenacity for tackling formidable tasks, and unwavering belief in the transformative power of basic science, continue to inspire our pursuit of excellence in neuroscience research.

GCNI advances cutting-edge fundamental research while expanding translational applications through three specialized research programs: (1) interrogating brain aging and its translational applications in neurological diseases, (2) studying neuro-genetics and developing functional restoration therapeutics for neurological disorders, and (3) deconstructing neural circuit intercommunications to understand disease mechanisms.