People
Dr. Owen H KO
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics & School of Biomedical Sciences
Principal Investigator, Gerald Choa Neuroscience Center
Principal Investigator, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences
Executive Committee Member, Gerald Choa Neuroscience Center
Head of Translational Neuroscience Unit, Division of Neurology
Academic and Professional Qualifications
BMedSc, MB ChB (CUHK), PhD (UCL)Contact Information
Tel.: (852) 2674 7866
Biography
Dr Ko holds Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMedSci, 1st class) and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from CUHK. He pursued PhD in neuroscience under the supervision of Professor Thomas Mrsic-Flogel at University College London in the UK and won the runner-up award of the 2014 Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology based on his PhD works. Dr Ko serves as a principal investigator at the Gerald Choa Neuroscience Center and the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Leading a team with expertise in biology, chemistry and engineering, his research works focus on the principles by which neural circuits mediate sensory perception and behavior, neurovascular biology, as well as the development of novel neuroimaging tools.
Dr. Owen H KO
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics & School of Biomedical Sciences
Principal Investigator, Gerald Choa Neuroscience Center
Principal Investigator, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences
Executive Committee Member, Gerald Choa Neuroscience Center
Head of Translational Neuroscience Unit, Division of Neurology
Research Interests
- Neural circuitry mechanisms of sensory perception and behavior
- Neurovascular biology
- Neuroimaging tools / techniques
Honorary Appointments in Other Professional Activities
- Associate faculty member, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, CUHK
- Scientific assessment committee member, Aptorum Group Limited
- Scientific advisor, Videns Life Sciences
Awards
- Faculty Innovation Award (Clinical Lecturer Scheme), CUHK (2017)
- Runner-up, Eppendorf and Science Prize for Neurobiology (2014)
- Dean's Outstanding Research Award, CUHK (2014)
- CUHK Convocation Outstanding Creativity Award for the Natural Sciences (2014)
- Overseas Research Scholarship, Higher Education Funding Council for England (2008 - 2011)
- PhD Scholarship, UCL (2008 - 2011)
- Dean's Award in Intercalated Medical Sciences, CUHK (2008)
- Dean's Outstanding Academic Award in Integrated Medical Sciences, CUHK (2007)
- Outstanding Performance Award in Clinical Skills, CUHK (2007)
- Distinction in the First Professional Examination, CUHK (2006)
- Outstanding Musculoskeletal Panel Prize, CUHK (2006)
- Excellent Performance Award, Enrichment Programme for Young Mathematics Talents, CUHK (2005)
- Honorable Mention, Hang Lung Mathematics Award (2004)
Selected Publications
- Li Q, Ko H, Qian ZM, Yan LYC, Chan DCW, Arbuthnott GW, Ke Y, Yung WH. Refinement of learned skilled movement representation in motor cortex deep output layer. Nature Communications. 2017 Jun 9;8:15834.
- Mok VCT, Lam BYK, Wong A, Ko H, Markus HS, Wong LKS. Early-onset and delayed-onset poststroke dementia - revisiting the mechanisms. Nature Reviews Neurology. 2017 Mar;13(3):148-159.
- Okun M, Steinmetz N, Cossell L, Iacaruso MF, Ko H, Bartho P, Moore T, Hofer SB, Mrsic-Flogel TD, Carandini M, Harris KD. Diverse coupling of neurons to populations in sensory cortex. Nature. 2015 May 28;521(7553):511-5.
- Cossell L, Iacaruso MF, Muir DR, Houlton R, Sader EN, Ko H, Hofer SB, Mrsic-Flogel TD. Functional organization of excitatory synaptic strength in primary visual cortex. Nature. 2015 Feb 19;518(7539):399-403.
- Ko H. Functional organization of synaptic connectivity in the neocortex. Runner-up essay, Eppendorf and Science Prize for Neurobiology 2014. Science. 2014 Oct 31; 346(6209):555.
- Ko H, Mrsic-Flogel TD, Hofer SB. Emergence of feature-specific connectivity in cortical microcircuits in the absence of visual experience. The Journal of Neuroscience. 2014 Jul 16;34(29):9812-6.
- Ko H, Cossell L, Baragli C, Antolik J, Clopath C, Hofer SB, Mrsic-Flogel TD. The emergence of functional microcircuits in visual cortex. Nature. 2013 Apr 4;496(7443):96-100.
- Li Q, Ke Y, Chan DCW, Qian ZM, Yung KKL, Ko H, Arbuthnott GW, Yung WH. Therapeutic deep brain stimulation in parkinsonian rats directly influences motor cortex. Neuron. 2012 Dec 6;76(5):1030-41.
- Hofer SB, Ko H, Pichler B, Vogelstein J, Ros H, Zeng H, Lein E, Lesica NA, Mrsic-Flogel TD. Differential connectivity and response dynamics of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in visual cortex. Nature Neuroscience. 2011 Jul 17;14(8):1045-52.
- Ko H, Hofer SB, Pichler B, Buchanan KA, Sjo stro m PJ, Mrsic-Flogel TD. Functional specificity of local synaptic connections in neocortical networks. Nature. 2011 May 5;473(7345):87-91.