Catherine H.H. Hor Research Group

19 June 2021

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The Department of Chemistry has collaborated with the Narcotics Bureau of Hong Kong Police Force to promote anti-drugs messages by simulating the scents of illegal drugs. The campaign aims to raise the public’s awareness of youngsters’ interactions with drugs, and it targets parents in particular.

A team from the Department of Chemistry simulated the scents of four illegal drugs, namely cocaine, methamphetamine (which is commonly known as crystal meth or ice), ketamine and cannabis. During the “Anti-Drugs Month” organised by the Narcotics Bureau of Hong Kong Police Force, an experiential device featuring the four scents was installed on an anti-drugs promotion truck, and stops by different locations around town from 13 to 26 June so that the general public can smell the scents for themselves.

Dr Catherine Hor, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry, said that reference was made to the relevant literature when simulating the drugs’ scents. Non-addictive and harmless organic compounds that are commonly utilised in the perfume production process were used to make the scents.

Research has shown that the chemicals in illegal drugs can interfere with neurotransmission in the brain, and they can cause long-lasting damage. “The simulated scents can help parents recognise the unique smells of common illegal drugs, and allow them to stay vigilant and prevent the possession and use of illegal drugs by teenagers,” said Dr Hor.

HKBU's Cross-disciplinary Research on the Neurological Impacts of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and The Entry Mechanism Awarded the RGC's Collaborative Research Fund

Jan 13, 2021

An interdisciplinary research project led by Dr Catherine HOR Hong-Huan , Research Assistant Professor from the Department of Chemistry, has recently received a Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) by the   Research Grant s Council . CRF is one of the most competitive research grants in Hong Kong that supports multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary projects in order to encourage more research groups to engage in creative and high quality cross-disciplinary projects. As the team leader, Dr Hor leads a team of international scientists with complementary expertise, including virologists, neuroscientists, and synthetic chemist s from HKBU ’s Department of Chemistry, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Duke-NUS Medical School, and National University of Singapore (NUS) to embark on a cross-disciplinary research project. The team is investigating the viral entry mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 in the neurons, and its long-term neuropathological consequences. Given that COVID-19 patients exhibit multiple neurological features, the project is of timely and significant scientific impact. The project shall uncover new insights on the SARS-CoV-2 entry mechanism into neurons, and will offer a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in the central nervous system. These findings shall lay the foundation for the development of novel therapeutics tackling SARS-CoV-2 induced neuropathology.