Research

ASPIRE League Partnership Seed Fund Awarded Projects

  • PI & Collaborators
    Project title
1st (2019) Round
1
  • Nam Joon CHO (NTU) PI
    Haibin SU (HKUST)
    Seung Min HAN (KAIST)
    Tomohiro HAYASHI (Tokyo Tech)

    Nano-bio interface engineering for translational science applications

2
  • Charles Chun YANG (NTU) PI
    Shuhuai YAO (HKUST)
    Yong Jin YOON (KAIST)

    Multi-mode miniaturized robots for microfluidic applications with thermal features

3
  • Naubahar SHARIF (HKUST) PI
    So Young KIM (KAIST)

    Understanding city innovation policies: the case of e-hailing in China

4
  • Tsuyoshi MICHINOBU (Tokyo Tech) PI
    Mansun Chan (HKUST)
    Bumjoon KIM (KAIST)
    Guifang DONG (Tsinghua)

    Electronic devices based on chiral organic semiconductors

2nd (2020) Round
1
  • Angela Ruohao WU (HKUST) PI
    Meng How TAN (NTU)

    Investigation of Primate-specific RNA-editing Using Single-cell RNA-seq

2
  • Alex WYATT (HKUST) PI
    Takashi NAKAMURA (Tokyo Tech)

    Integrating Biogeochemistry and Modelling to Understand Globally Threatened Coral Reefs

3
  • Yoonseob KIM (HKUST) PI
    Shinhyun CHOI &
    Kibum KANG (KAIST)

    Faster and Reproducible Neuromorphic Computing Using Porous Ion Transport Membranes

4
  • Masahide YAMAGUCHI (Tokyo Tech) PI
    Minho SON (KAIST)

    Lattice Simulation for Axion Dark Matter Abundance from Cosmic String

3rd (2021) Round
1
  • Yoichi YATSU (Tokyo Tech) PI
    Holden King Ho LI (NTU)

    Collaborative Research for Blue Carbon in Tropical Area from Space

2
  • Qin XU (HKUST) PI
    Yifan WANG (NTU)

    Design and Manufacturing of Soft Ferromagnetic Robots Based on 3D Printing

3
  • Bihan WEN (NTU) PI
    Jong Chul YE (KAIST)

    Physics-Driven Machine Learning for Computational Imaging

4
  • Masaru YARIME (HKUST) PI
    Naoya ABE (Tokyo Tech)

    Governance of Data-Driven Innovation for Sustainable Smart Cities

5
  • Juho KIM (KAIST) PI
    Xiaojuan MA (HKUST)

    Mitigating Filter Bubbles in Social Media Consumption with AI

6
  • Francesco CIUCCI (HKUST) PI
    WooChul JUNG (KAIST)

    Investigation on B-site Substituted BaCoO3-δ-perovskite-based Nanocomposite as High-performance Cathode for Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells

4th (2022) Round
1
  • Jaewook MYUNG (KAIST) PI
    Seok Woo LEE (NTU)

    Marine-biodegradable package-free battery

2
  • Simen Yanguang ZHOU (HKUST) PI
    Fei DUAN (NTU)

    Functionalizing solid-liquid interfaces to enhance two-phase immersion cooling

3
  • Rui ZHANG (HKUST) PI
    Dong Ki YOON (KAIST)

    Design of reconfigurable, chiral materials through field modulating liquid crystals

4
  • David James HENDRY (HKUST) PI
    Jiyoung HAN (KAIST)

    Anger, attention, and motivated reasoning: an experimental approach

5th (2023) Round
1
  • Chao SHI (NTU) PI
    Anthony LEUNG (HKUST)

    Investigation of Thermomechanical Performance of Driven Geothermal Energy Piles

2
  • Xunyuan YIN (NTU) PI
    Richard LAKERVELD (HKUST)

    Learning-based hybrid process modeling and resilient operation of protein crystallization

3
  • Charmaine YUNG (HKUST) PI
    Jaewook MYUNG (KAIST)

    Unraveling Bioplastic Degradation Process in Ocean Using Omics-Aided Biodegradation Study

4
  • Bonnie ZHU (HKUST) PI
    Pilnam KIM (KAIST)

    Reprogramming of Microglia in 3D Glioblastoma (GBM) Brain Model

5
  • Hui SU (HKUST) PI
    Jingyu WANG (NTU)
    Hyungjun KIM (KAIST)
    Nobuyuki UTSUMI (Tokyo Tech)

    Advancing the understanding and predictive capability of precipitation in urban areas

6th (2024) Round
1
  • Sunwoo LEE (NTU) PI
    Kibum KANG (KAIST)
    Yihan ZHANG (HKUST)

    CMOS-Integrated Layered Materials for Grain-Sized Biomedical Microsystems

2
  • Ran YAN (NTU) PI
    Shinya HANAOKA (Science Tokyo)
    Sisi JIAN (HKUST)
    Tiantian CHEN (KAIST)

    Reducing Maritime Accidents by Port State Control: Models and Applications

3
  • Uganda Sze Pui KWAN (NTU) PI
    Kumiko KIUCHI (Science Tokyo)
    David Cheng CHANG (HKUST)

    Technologies and Politics of Communications: Interpreting, Negotiating and Mediating in War and Peace

4
  • Kazuyoshi FUSHINOBU (Science Tokyo) PI
    Young-Jin KIM (KAIST)
    Seongwoo YOO (NTU)

    Laser-induced Graphene for Thermal Management of Flexible Optoelectronics

7th (2025) Round
1
  • Long CHEN (HKUST) PI
    Hanwang ZHANG (NTU)

    Next-Generation Foundation Models for Multimodal Understand and Generation

2
  • Nam Joon CHO (NTU) PI
    Jae-Byum CHANG (KAIST)
    Tomohiro HAYASHI (Science Tokyo)
    Haibin SU (HKUST)

    Beyond Sustainability: Prepare Tomorrow with Materials Today

3
  • Nitish GOVINDARAJAN (NTU) PI
    Minju CHUNG (KAIST)

    Understanding electrochemical propylene epoxidation in blended electrolytes

4
  • Chao SHI (NTU) PI
    Yu WANG (HKUST)
    Akihiro TAKAHASHI (Science Tokyo)

    Digital Twin-Assisted Development of Climate-Resilient Coastal Slopes

8th (2026) Round
1
  • Lixue CHENG (HKUST) PI
    Sungsoo AHN (KAIST)

    Dual Foundation Model for DeepQMC and Machine Learning Hamiltonians

2
  • Takeharu TSUGE (Science Tokyo) PI
    Sierin LIM (NTU)
    Shensheng CHEN (HKUST)

    Rational Design of Enzyme PhaC for Enhanced Bio-polymer Diversity

3
  • Naoki HIGASHITARUMIZU (NTU) PI
    Yutaka MAJIMA (Science Tokyo)

    MOF-Coupled Nanogap Junctions for Gas Sensing

4
  • Yoonchang SUNG (NTU) PI
    Daehyung PARK (KAIST)
    Kazuhiro NAKADAI (Science Tokyo)

    Improving Reasoning in Robot Foundation Models for Manipulation