Hosted by The JC School of Public Health and Primary Care (JCSPHPC) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), the “SPHPC Thematic Research Seminar Series – Understanding of Heat-Health Impact in Subtropical High-density Cities: An Experience from Hong Kong” will take place on 25 July, 2025 (Friday).
Professor Chao REN, Professor at the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong, will draw from her research examining the health impacts of urban heat and the role of the urban heat island effect, with a particular focus on Hong Kong. The session will also highlight key findings from recent consultancy projects and the development of climate-responsive design guidelines. The seminar will be moderated by Prof. Marc Chong, Assistant Professor of JCSPHPC.
Please refer to the details below:
| Date & Time | 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm 25 July 2025 (Fri) |
| Venue | KCTCRC, 1/F, School of Public Health Building Prince of Wales Hospital Shatin |
| Mode | In-Person |
| Topic | Understanding of Heat-Health Impact in Subtropical High-density Cities: An Experience from Hong Kong |
| Speaker | Professor Chao REN Professor, Department of Architecture Faculty of Architecture The University of Hong Kong |
| Moderator | Professor Marc Ka-chun CHONG Assistant Professor, The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
Seminar Abstract
Extreme hot weather is likely to become more frequent and intense under future climate change, particularly in urban areas, due to the complex urban settings. It causes implications on public health, such as heat stroke, heat-related diseases, and excess mortality due to the negative physiological consequences of prolonged exposure to extreme heat. Hong Kong has experienced considerable warming in the last few decades. In the high-density urban environment of Hong Kong, such intense heat is exacerbated by the urban heat island phenomenon, caused by the compact urban form and settings. This effect is especially prominent during nighttime.
The paper aims to review the current situation of extreme hot weather in Hong Kong as a case study of high-density cities and to identify key characteristics of Heat-Health impacts, including health outcomes and the spatial patterns of very hot days and hot nights in Hong Kong. Several governmental consultancy projects and the development of climate-responsive design guidelines will also be introduced. The study will illustrate the concept of “Science in Time, Science in Place” and explain how to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration that bridges the scientific community and the community of practice.
About the Speaker
Dr. Chao Ren is a Professor at the University of Hong Kong. She is the Director of the Msc in Sustainable Environment Design and the Associate Director of the HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute. She specializes in applied climatology and climate design. Chao’s multi-dimensional, cross-disciplinary research has transferred scientific data into new knowledge to address social needs, enhance policy-making and support evidence-based designs in China, Taiwan, Singapore, The Netherlands and France since 2006. She is the Awardee of the 2023 HKU University-level Knowledge Exchange Excellence Award and the 2022 Rosie Young 90 Medal Outstanding Young Woman Scholar at HKU. She is also the Recipient of the Timothy Oke Award for early- & mid-career scientists given by the International Association for Urban Climate in 2020.
Focuses of Dr. Ren’s publications range from examining the relationship between urban climate and urban morphological characteristics, developing an urban climatic mapping system and a wind corridor plan, to analysing human thermal comfort and public health risk for subtropical high-density cities.
About the Moderator
Dr. Marc Chong is an Assistant Professor in the JC School of Public Health and Primary Care (SPHPC), Assistant Professor (by courtesy) in Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine in CUHK, and Associate Researcher (by courtesy) in Shenzhen Research Institute, CUHK.
Dr. Chong’s multidisciplinary research focuses on infectious disease modelling and environmental epidemiology, with a specific emphasis on impact of weather variations on seasonal influenza and other respiratory diseases. He is also interested in applied research of artificial intelligence (AI) on healthcare services and health system, leading to innovative solutions that extend beyond the confines of academia. To date, he has published 174 articles and is the first/corresponding author for 79 of the publications in international peer-reviewed journals. He is a principal/co-principal investigator for 18 external competitive grants.