Biography

Professor Kok is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong. He is a molecular virologist with a focus on host-virus interactions and host antiviral responses, including "interferon signalling". He first identified a host antiviral protein called PACT, which can recognize viral defective interfering RNAs and effectively induce the production of type-I interferon – an indispensable innate antiviral response during the early stages of infection. He has continued to characterize this novel antiviral mechanism, as well as the viral interferon antagonists encoded by various viruses, including influenza A, herpes simplex, measles, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2. Utilizing the optimized innate interferon-optimized adaptive immune response, Professor Kok's team has recently established several novel vaccine platforms and developed innovative vaccines, such as an intradermal influenza (defective-interfering) vaccine, a single-round live pan-Sarbecovirus (interferon-integrated) vaccine, and inhalable RNA-scaffold protein vaccines.