Speaker

Dr. Alireza Haghighi is a Pioneering leader transforming global health through groundbreaking advancements in life science and AI. He is internationally recognized for his leadership in projects aimed at improving health and well-being worldwide. Dr. Haghighi regularly advises government leaders and industry executives on national health policies and initiatives. He is the founder of multiple startups at the intersection of AI and life sciences. Dr. Haghighi is the Director and Principal Investigator of the Bahrain National Genome Program and has contributed to the design, development, and leadership of national projects in other countries. He is also the Founding President of the Advancement Initiative for Medicine and Science (AIMS), a global foundation dedicated to advancing medical science and healthcare worldwide, which has improved the health of people across the globe. Dr. Haghighi has received numerous prestigious awards and prizes, including the Global Health Pioneer Award for his innovative strategies and initiatives to enhance the quality of life of people around the world and the International Genetic Disorders Prevention Award. Dr. Haghighi is an American board-certified geneticist, and a clinician-scientist at Mass General Brigham. He completed his graduate and clinical training at the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School.

Ambassador George Hara is an archaeologist, tech entrepreneur, and venture capitalist.

In private sector, he founded DEFTA Partners in 1985. He was considered one of the most prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalists in the 1990s. He led more than twenty tech companies to success in the U.S., Europe, UK, Israel, and Japan, including Borland, PictureTel, SCO, Tradex, Unify, Oplus Technolgies, Fortinet, CUORiPS. Mr. Hara also founded DEFTA Hong Kong Office, to invest and to foster next generation of entrepreneurs, to promote collaboration between Hong Kong and Japan, and to make Hong Kong China’s international innovation and technology hub.

He has served several posts in public office, such as Special Adviser to the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister of Japan, Special Adviser to the Ministry of Finance, and the Prime Minister’s Special Commissioner on the Government Tax Panel. He is an advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and he used to be the Intergovernmental Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to United Nations.

Ambassador George Hara also serves as Chairman of the Alliance Forum Foundation, and endeavours to promote the cultivation of new industries for a new era and to foster global leadership around the development of a next-generation core industry.

Dr. Desmond HAU obtained his Bachelor of Science (Honors) [B.Sc. (Hons)] in Applied Biology from Hong Kong Baptist College (University) (Year 1990), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Biochemistry from The University of Hong Kong (Year 1993), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Research & Development Division of School of Chinese Medicine from Hong Kong Baptist University (Year 2012).

After serving as the Scientific Officer (Medical) for 2 years in Department of Clinical Oncology of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, he founded Bio-Gene Technology Ltd (Bio-Gene; www.bio-gene.com.hk), a leading regional company specializing in distribution of research and medical instruments, reagents and consumables since Year 1993. Currently, the business of Bio-Gene spans from Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China to Southeast Asia markets.

To enter the business of clinical diagnostic testing services and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products, Dr. HAU invested and joined Pangenia Inc. (www.pangenia.com), a leading local molecular diagnostic testing services company, and DiagCor Life Science Ltd. (www.diagcorlifescience.com), an IVD products company focused on R&D, manufacturing & QC, product registration and export sales, as Board of Director and Chief Executive Officer since Year 2016. Collaborating with the School of Chinese Medicine of Hong Kong Baptist University in Year 2008, Dr. HAU established and introduced a series of Chinese Medicinal health food products into the market through the branding “BU Health” and, after Year 2018, a new brand called “One Health”.

Dr. HAU has over 30 years of experience in technology identification & commercialization, market development and business management, specializing in biomedical sciences, clinical diagnostics, medical devices and pharmaceutical products markets in various countries and cities.

Dr. Hau has also served as External Grant Assessor at Knowledge Transfer Office of City University of Hong Kong, a member of the Faculty of Science Advisory Committee of Hong Kong Baptist University, and Programme Advisory Panel Member at School of Medical and Health Sciences of Tung Wah College.

Dr Tim Hirst is the Chairman and CEO of GPN Vaccines Inc. (https://gpnvaccines.com) a US biotechnology company with an Australian subsidiary conducting clinical trials of a new vaccine against the world’s foremost bacterial pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae. He is an entrepreneur and investor with extensive expertise in the life sciences, executive management and venture capital investment. He was previously CEO of ANU Connect Ventures, a $30M pre-seed VC fund based in Canberra, the Vice President and Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation at The University of Sydney and Professor & Head of Microbiology at the University of Bristol, UK. He is an active angel investor working with investment groups throughout Australia and US to assist early-stage companies to raise capital and develop their innovative technologies. He is a Trustee Director of Griffin Accelerator Holdings Pty Ltd, Canberra’s leading business incubator. In 2022, TechBoard named him, Australian Angel Investor of the Year. Tim also holds positions as Non-Executive Chairman of Brain Changer Pty Ltd, Flex-G Pty Ltd, Dentroid Pty Ltd and Gamma Vaccines Pty Ltd, and as Director of PPB Technology Pty Ltd. He is also an Honorary Adjunct Professor at the University of Adelaide.

Dr. I Ming Hsing is Professor and Former Head of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He holds a BSc from National Taiwan University (1990) and an MSCEP and PhD from MIT (1994, 1997). Dr. Hsing’s research integrates molecular biology, reaction engineering, and micro/nanofabrication to advance nucleic acid engineering and biomaterials. His group develops innovative diagnostics, including CRISPR-based platforms for point-of-care testing and community surveillance, and nature-derived biomaterials for chronic wound care. A pioneer in molecular diagnostics, he holds multiple patents and has published extensively. Dr. Hsing serves on the editorial boards of leading journals, serves as a member of the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Research Grants Council, and is the Founding President of the Asia Pacific Biomedical Engineering Consortium, fostering collaboration in biomedical engineering and translational medicine.

Founder & CEO, Ryoden Medical Holdings & Incando Therapeutics Group

Dr Hu is a translational biomedical engineer with a strong background in business development. His passion is in building a vibrant biotech ecosystem through bridging stakeholders across relevant sectors. He heads Ryoden Medical where he oversees healthcare and biotech venture investments for his family office. He co-founded Incando Therapeutics and Cere Ventures to bring brain- and healthy aging-related developments to the market. Dr Hu currently serves as Chair of Biomedical Engineering Departmental Advisory Council and Adjunct Professor in Biomedical Sciences at the City University of Hong Kong, as well as board member or steering committee member to several charities, think-tanks, universities and government committees in Hong Kong, such as the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization, the Asian Fund for Cancer Research Limited, the Hong Kong Professionals and Senior Executives Association, the Hong Kong Trade & Development Council, and the Hong Kong Innovation & Technology Commission. Dr Hu received his PhD in Tissue Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, BS in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and has been awarded the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Greater Bay Area Most Talented Young Entrepreneur Award with the Best Technology Innovation Distinction in 2023.

Dr. Alex Shih-Min Huang joined BeOne Medicines in April 2021 and is the Vice President, Head of Cell Therapy. He is an experienced leader of science and people in pharmaceutical R&D with substantial proficiency in drug discovery and development. Over the span of more than 20 years, he built a command of portfolio oversight and hands-on, proven track record spanning target discovery/validation, hit-to-lead, lead nomination, lead optimization, development candidate selection, early/late development, life cycle management, clinical biomarkers, and forward/reverse translational research, at Novartis, Sanofi, Genentech, BMS, and AbbVie with increasing responsibility.

Prior to joining BeOne Medicines, Alex was deeply engaged in the clinical development space at Genentech, BMS, and AbbVie. Most recently, he was the Senior Director of Precision Medicine Oncology at AbbVie, leading a group of ~50 seasoned scientific personnel, delivering translational research/clinical biomarker/CDx strategies, critical data packages, and relevant interpretations to facilitate development and commercial decisions from pre-GLP tox to Ph1/2/3 trials and life cycle management, covering >20 pipeline molecules consist of various therapeutic modalities (CAR-T, bispecific, ADC, naked therapeutic antibody, small molecule, etc.) targeting diverse biological space including immuno-oncology, apoptosis, and B cell signaling pathways in both solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Prior to entering the translational medicine space, Alex was a drug discovery program PTL with Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research (NIBR) and Sanofi Oncology, leading drug discovery teams to advance multiple programs spanning target discovery/validation, hit finding, lead optimization, lead nomination, development candidate selection, and pre-clinical translational research.

Dr. Huang obtained his doctoral degree in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Rochester Medical Center and completed his post-doctoral training at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) in San Diego.

Betty Huang is currently Head of Collaborate to Cure (CtC) Hub China at Bayer
Pharmaceuticals. She is responsible for steering regional business development
strategy, driving key initiatives and deal making as well as managing strategic
alliances covering both commercial and academic collaborations for Bayer
Pharmaceuticals in China.

With more than 20 years of extensive experience, Betty Huang is a seasoned
professional in the arena of business development and licensing and has
accumulated expertise and know-hows in finance, investment, and healthcare
industry. Since September 2022, she has served as Executive Chairman of the
China Healthcare Business Development Alliance (CHBD) and made outstanding
contributions to promoting pharma innovation ecosystem and BD community,
elevating professional capabilities and cultivating talents.

Dr. Yuanyu Huang, a tenured professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, has been recognized as a national-level young talent and a leading figure in Beijing and Suzhou, and is ranked among the top 2% of scientists worldwide as released by Elsevier. His research focuses on nucleic acid drugs and vaccines, with over 70 papers published as corresponding author in journals such as Nat Rev Bioeng, Sci Adv, Nat Commun, STTT, and Adv Mater. He has authored more than 120 papers in total and filed 60 patents, of which around 20 have been granted. His accolades include being named a Forbes China Industry Leader, RNA Therapy Rising Star, Capital Frontier Academic Achievement awardee, and receiving First-Class Natural Science Awards from Beijing (9/12) and Guangxi (5/6). He serves as associate editor for Exploration and Mol Ther, advisory board member for Trends Mol Med, and editor for Chin Chem Lett and other journals. Dr. Huang leads the development of the siRNA drug RG002C0106, which entered Phase II trials in China in August 2025.

Huang Zhiwei, Director of the faculty of Life Science and Medicine at Harbin Institute of Technology, is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and a Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor of the Ministry of Education. He earned his Ph.D. in 2008 from China Agricultural University and the National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing. From 2009 to 2012, he conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard University in the United States. In March 2012, he returned to China and established his laboratory at Harbin Institute of Technology. Professor Huang Zhiwei is dedicated to systematic research on fundamental scientific questions in human adaptive immunity (T and B cells) and prokaryotic adaptive immune mechanisms. Professor Huang has received numerous grants and awards, including the New Cornerstone Investigator Program, the National Key R&D Program Project, the Science Exploration Award(XPLORER PRIZE).