TASK LEADERS
Project coordinator / Principal investigator
Prof. Alexis LAU Kai-Hon (Head & Chair Professor, Division of Environment & Sustainability / Chair Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, HKUST ) has extensive project management experience, leading multiple research teams with immense success (he has managed over HK$ 88 million worth of projects as the PI/PM). As the PRAISE project coordinator, his primary role to make sure the team works effectively towards the overall goal to develop personalised real-time air quality, exposure, and health risk analyses and forecasts for Hong Kong.
Project Co-investigator / Task 1 Leader – on Atmospheric modelling
Prof. Jimmy FUNG Chi-Hung (Chair Professor, Division of Environment & Sustainability / Department of Mathematics, HKUST) is a veteran in modelling local and regional meteorology and air quality. His research team brings unique talents to this project, with a focus on the meso-scale meteorological modelling, regional and street-level air quality modelling and analyses. Prof. Fung’s team will utilise the PATH/ADMS-Urban model to perform air pollutant concentration forecasts that are accurate down to the street level.
Project Co-investigator / Task 2 Leader – on Air quality sensing technology
Prof. Zhi NING (Associate Professor, Division of Environment and Sustainability, HKUST) has acted as a PI/PM for a total 22 projects worth over HK$16 million during the past four years at City University. As a PRAISE team leader, he oversees air monitoring and personal exposure assessments practices, ensuring quality assurance and control. His management experience is invaluable in driving the project forward.
Project Co-investigator / Task 2 & Task 6 Leaders – on Air quality characterisation by microenvironments and exposure analysis
Dr. Wenwei CHE (Research Assistant Professor) has particular research focuses on developing methodologies and conducting field measurements and models for assessing human exposure to air pollutants. Dr. Che led a large-scale field measurement campaign for PRAISE-HK over 200 sites – including homes, schools, offices, transportation and on the pavements. She also assists in developing microenvironmental models for exposure estimates. Dr. Che has also taken up co-leadership of Task 6 since early 2021.
Project Co-investigator / Task 3 Leader – on Urban informatics and big data analytics
Prof. QU Huamin (Chair Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, HKUST) is proficient in big data analytics and user-interface design, having collaborated with IBM, Microsoft, Huawei, and Tencent on a variety of projects. Among others, he developed the award-winning VisMOOC data analytics system. In this project, he leads Task 3 (Urban Informatics and Big Data Analytics), and will assist Prof. Chen Lei with Task 5 (Mobile App and Web database and Server Development).
Project Co-investigator / Task 4 Leader – on Transport modelling
Prof. Hong-Kam LO (Head and Chair Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, HKUST) has conducted transportation research and consultancy projects for two decades –his portfolio includes over 55 research and consultancy projects. With PRAISE, he will conduct transportation analysis and simulation studies related to the impact of various transport-related emissions management strategies in Hong Kong.
Project Co-investigator / Task 5 Leader – on Mobile technology
Prof. CHEN Lei (Chair Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, HKUST) has rich research and engineering experience on big data analytics and mobile app development. His responsibilities at PRAISE include analysing air pollution data, developing the mobile app to collect relevant air pollution data, and verifying the accuracy of proposed prediction models.
Project Co-investigator / Task 6 Leader – on Personal air pollution exposure assessment
Prof. Christopher H. FREY (Glen E. Futrell Distinguished University Professor, Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering. North Carolina State University) is an expert research investigator and multidisciplinary team leader; his past projects covered air quality modelling, exposure assessment, statistics, transportation systems, and public health. In this project, Dr. Frey will direct the development of the Personal Air Pollution Exposure Assessment Model, as well as analysing microenvironmental AQ measurements. Prof. Christopher Frey has resigned from the project in early 2021. Since then, Prof. Andy Grieshop of NCSU and Prof. Wenwei Che has jointly taken up responsibility for leading task 6.
Project Co-investigator / Task 6 Leader – on Personal air pollution exposure assessment
Prof. Andy GRIESHOP (Faculty Advisor for NCSU Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB); member of the Executive Committee of the Triangle Research Initiative on Household Energy Transitions (TRI-HET) is interested in sources and evolution of atmospheric aerosols, characterization of in-use emissions from mobile and stationary combustion sources, linkages between air pollution emissions and climate change, and air pollution exposure assessment. Prof. Andy Grieshop has taken up co-leadership of Task 6 since early 2021.
Project Co-investigator / Task 7 Leader – on Personal exposure / Health-risk analysis and prediction
Prof. WONG Tze-Wai (Research Professor, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong) is leading PRAISE’s health assessment team as an external consultant. Having played a key role in formulating Hong Kong’s Air Quality Health Index, he brings a wealth of experience in studying air pollution’s impact on human health.
Project Co-investigator / Task 8 Leader – on Public education & stakeholders engagement
Dr. Michelle WONG (Senior Communications Manager (Environment), Institute for the Environment, HKUST) successfully relayed the world of science to the public as the head of communications at a leading Hong Kong think-tank during a 8-year long tenure. Combining this skill with her doctorate in clinical microbiology and environmental science, she has an instrumental role in conducting stakeholder engagement campaigns and promoting PRAISE-HK to the public.
Task 9 Leader – on Management, review & audit
Ms. Ophelia LEE is well versed in project management, having performed this responsibility for over two decades. She will assist the Project Coordinator in project planning, due diligence, and resources allocation.
PROJECT CONSULTANTS
Project Consultant – on Real-time PATH/Urban-ADMS modelling
Dr. David CARRUTHERS (Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants, United Kingdom) is a renowned Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling System (ADMS) expert who is also deeply familiar with Hong Kong’s air pollution problems. He will work with Prof. Fung to develop the real-time PATH/ADMS-Urban system for PRAISE-HK.
Project Consultant – on air quality characterisation
Mr. Freeman CHEUNG (Senior Vice President, Environment, Greater China, AECOM, Hong Kong). Freeman’s company, AECOM Asia Co. Ltd., has a long history of monitoring air quality in collaboration with the HKSAR government and other private and non-profit entities. In this project, AECOM Asia will conduct highly detailed air quality measurements in over 200 sites in Hong Kong – their effort will directly support Prof. Ning Zhi, Prof. Chris Frey, and Prof. Alexis Lau’s work.