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​Prof. Kin-fai HO 何建輝教授

Prof. Kin-fai HO

何建輝教授

BSc (Hons), MPhil, PhD

Associate Director (Graduate Studies and Research) / Professor

Email: kfho@cuhk.edu.hk

 

ORCID: 0000-0001-7464-3437

Scopus Author ID: 56895512600

ResearcherID: D-7311-2013

Academic Appointments

  • Head of Graduate Division, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care

  • Professor (by Courtesy), Earth System Science Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

  • Research Fellow, Institute of Environment, Energy, and Sustainability, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

  • Visiting Professor, Taipei Medical University

Biography

Prof. Kin-Fai Ho is a Professor at the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prof. Ho is an environmental scientist with over 20 years of research experience in atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, and their impact on health. His research interests focus on the development of exposure assessment techniques and the modification of chemical/toxicological characterization methods to quantify personal exposure and health impacts related to air pollution. These techniques aim to bridge the gap between air pollution sources and their effects on health. His studies encompass the entire spectrum from pollution sources to exposure to health sciences, seeking to identify adverse human health effects and reduce uncertainties across the source-to-health effects paradigm. This research supports the development of strategies to mitigate the adverse health effects of air pollution in Hong Kong and mainland China. Prof. Ho has an extensive publication record, with over 330 scientific articles published in international peer-reviewed journals. His work has garnered more than 20,500 citations, and he maintains an H-index of 70. His recent research is focused on toxic air pollutants and their impact on human health, with specific attention to the composition and sources of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Research Interests

  • Air Pollution and Health

  • Environmental epidemiology

  • Particle Toxicology

  • Exposure Assessment

  • Bioaerosol

Recent Funded Research Projects 

  • Volatile organic compound emissions and the toxicological implications of secondary organic aerosol formation from volatile chemical products, Research Grants Council - General Research Fund (PI: 2024-2026)

  • Unravelling the Black Box between Air Pollution and Public Health for Transformative Air Quality Management, Research Grant Council-Theme-based Research Fund (Co-PI: 2023-2027)

  • Spatial and temporal variations of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) and their ozone formation potential (OFP) in Hong Kong, Environment and Conservation Fund (PI: 2021-2023)

  • Personal and ambient exposure to chemical composition of PM2.5 and PMcoarse and change of lung functions and biomarkers for inflammatory and oxidative stress in elderly, Food and Health Bureau - Health and Medical Research Fund (PI: 2020-2022)

  • Relationship between outdoor and personal exposure to bioaerosols and their allergic airway inflammation in vitro, Research Grants Council - General Research Fund (PI: 2020-2022)

  • Inflammatory responses induced by secondary organic aerosols (SOA) generated from NO3- and OH- initiated oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Research Grants Council - General Research Fund (PI: 2019-2021)

  • Photochemical air pollution in highly urbanized subtropical regions: from micro environments to urban-terrestrial-oceanic interactions, Research Grant Council-Theme-based Research Fund (Co-PI: 2018-2022)

  • Characterization and formation of secondary organic aerosols from biomass burning, National Natural Science Foundation of China (PI: 2017-2019)

Selected Publications

  1. Lau, Y. S., Poon, H. Y., Organ, B., Chuang, H. C., Chan, M. N., Guo, H., Ho, S. S. H., Ho, K. F.* (2023). Toxicological effects of fresh and aged gasoline exhaust particles in Hong Kong. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 441, 129846.

  2. Xia, X., Niu, X. Y.*, Chan, K. H., Xu, H. M., Shen, Z. X., Cao, J. J., Wu, S. W., Qiu, H., Ho, K. F.* (2023). Effects of indoor air purification intervention on blood pressure, blood‑oxygen saturation, and heart rate variability: A double-blinded cross-over randomized controlled trial of healthy young adults. Science of The Total Environment, 874, 162516.

  3. Huang, W., Wang, Kailu, Hung, C.-T., Chow, K.-M., Tsang, D., Lai, R. W.-M., Xu, R. H., Yeoh, E.-K., Ho, K. F.*, Chen, C.* (2022). Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in COVID-19 isolation wards: On-site sampling and numerical analysis. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 436, 129152.

  4. He, Y., Liu, W. T., Lin, S. Y., Li, Z. Y., Qiu, H., Yim, S. H. L., Chuang, H.-C., Ho, K. F.* (2022). Association of traffic air pollution with severity of obstructive sleep apnea in urban areas of Northern Taiwan: A cross-sectional study. Science of The Total Environment, 827, 154347.

  5. Qiu, H., Chuang, K. J.*, Bai, C. H., Fan, Y. C., Chang, T. P., Yim, S. H. L., Wong, T. W., Ho, K. F.* (2021). Association of ambient ozone with pneumonia hospital admissions in Hong Kong and Taipei: A tale of two Southeast Asian cities. Environment International, 156, 106634.

  6. Qiu, H., Bai, C.-H., Chuang, K.-J., Fan, Y.-C., Chang, T.-P., Yim, S. H. L., Ho, K. F.* (2021). Association of cardiorespiratory hospital admissions with ambient volatile organic compounds: Evidence from a time-series study in Taipei, Taiwan. Chemosphere, 276, 130172.

  7. Chen, X. C., Chuang, H. C., Ward, T. J., Sarkar C., Webster, C., Cao, J. J., Hsiao. T. C., Ho, K. F.*. (2021). Toxicological effects of personal exposure to fine particles in adult residents of Hong Kong. Environmental Pollution, 275, 116633.

  8. Liu, Y., Ning, Z.*, Chen, Y.*, Guo, M., Liu, Y., Kumar, Gali, N. K., Sun, L., Duan, Y., Cai, J., Westerdahl, D., Liu, X., Xu, K., Ho, K. F.*, Kan, H*, Fu, Q.*, Lan, K.* (2020). Aerodynamic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in two Wuhan hospitals. Nature, 582, 557-560.

  9. Qiu, H., Xia, X., Man, C. L., Ko, F., Yim, S. H. L., Kwok, T., Ho, K. F.* (2020). Real-time Monitoring of the Effects of Personal Temperature Exposure on Blood Oxygen Saturation Level in Elderly People With and Without Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Panel Study in Hong Kong. Environmental Science & Technology 54(11), 6869-6877.

  10. Xia, X. Qiu, H., Kwok, T., Ko, F. W. S., Man, C. L., Ho, K. F.* (2020). Time course of blood oxygen saturation responding to short-term fine particulate matter among elderly healthy subjects and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Science of The Total Environment, 723, 138022.

Last Updated: 26 October 2023

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