Professor
Julian A. Tanner

Research Interests

• Nucleic Acid Engineering

• Chemical Biology

• Student Learning

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Research Description

• Julian's research field is chemical biology, with a particular focus on directed nucleic acid evolution for translational biomedical application. The Tanner lab brings together interdisciplinary experimental approaches at the interface of biomedical science, engineering and chemistry to tackle major medical challenges. His highly collaborative research team is developing new technologies for point-of-care biosensing, diagnostics and therapeutics in a variety of contexts, including for infectious disease, infertility, various cancers and sepsis. The team is also active into research into nucleic acid structure and function, investigating the interface of aptamers and DNA nanotechnology through interdisciplinary apporoaches. The team publishes frequently in leading journals including recently in Nature Communications, PNAS, Angewandte Chemie, Biosensors & Bioelectronics, Small, and holds over a dozen patents.

• Julian also plays major roles in T&L at HKU. He is Director of the Common Core across the University of Hong Kong, and is Associate Dean (Health Sciences Education) of the HKUMed T&L Deanery. He is the former Director of the BBiomedSc degree programme (2018–2024), and played a major role in reform of the first two years of the MBBS curriculum in a former Assistant Dean role at HKUMed (2018–2024). He is co-author of one of the leading textbooks of Chemical Biology – Essential of Chemical Biology (Wiley), with a second edition recently published in early 2024. Julian has particular interest in how to build the best transdisciplinary environment for student achievement at the nexus between T&L, research and innovation for students across all disciplines and faculties of the University.