Kwok-fai So

Kwok-fai So, Ph.D.

Member, Chinese Academy of Sciences

GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University; The University of Hong Kong, China

Editor-in-Chief of Neural Regeneration Research

About the Speaker:

Director of GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration at Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Chair of Anatomy in the State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences; Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Member of “2011 Plan” Expert Advisory Committee, Member of the Ministry of Science and Technology 973 plan Expert Advisory Group, Director of Hong Kong Spinal Cord Injury Fund (HKSCIF), Co-Chairman of the Board of Director of the ChinaSCINet, and Editor-in-Chief of Neural Regeneration Research.

He is one of the pioneers in the field of axonal regeneration in visual system. He was the first to show lengthy regeneration of retinal ganglion cells in adult mammals with peripheral nerve graft. He is currently using multiple approaches to promote axonal regeneration in the optic nerve and spinal cord. His team identifies neuroprotective and regenerative factors including exercise, wolfberry, trophic factors, peptide nanofiber scaffold, and environmental manipulation. He was elected Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1999. He was elected US National Academy of Invention Fellow in 2015. He is the author and co-author of over 420 publications with over 28075 citations; H index: 88 (http://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=SUPKYiQAAAAJ&view_op=list_works); co-inventors of 25 patents. In 2025, he was listed on the “World’s Top 2% Scientists”. In 2024, he was listed on the “World’s Best Neuroscience Scientists” by Research.com (https://research.com/scientists-rankings/neuroscience).

Selected Recent Publications:

1. Zhou X, Deng XH, Liu MF, He MT, Long WH, Xu ZB, Zhang K, Liu T, So KF, Fu QL, Zhou LB (2023) Intranasal delivery of BDNF-loaded small extracellular vesicles for cerebral ischemia therapy. J Control Release 357:1-19.

2. Liu X, Hao F, Hao P, Zhang JX, Wang LQ, You SW, Wang NL, Yang ZY, So KF, Li XG (2023) Regeneration and functional recovery of the completely transected optic nerve in adult rats by CNTF-chitosan. Signal Transduct Target Ther 8(1):81.

3. Liu YC, Wei JA, Luo ZH, Cui J, Luo YF, Mak SOK, Wang SQ, Zhang FW, Yang Y, So KF, Shi LL, Zhang L, Chow BKC (2023) A gut-brain axis mediates sodium appetite via gastrointestinal peptide regulation on a medulla-hypothalamic circuit. Sci Adv 9(7):eadd5330.

4. Wei JA, Han Q, Luo ZH, Liu LL, Cui J, Tan JH, Chow BKC, So KF, Zhang L (2022) Amygdala neural ensemble mediates mouse social investigation behaviors. Natl Sci Rev 10(1):nwac179.

5. Au NPB, Kumar G, Asthana P, Gao FY, Kawaguchi R, Chang RCC, So KF, Hu Y, Geschwind DH, Coppola G, Ma CHE (2022) Clinically relevant small-molecule promotes nerve repair and visual function recovery. NPJ Regen Med 7(1):50.