Rate My Professor Wong Wing Leung

Professor Wong Wing Leung is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology within the Faculty of Science at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Technology from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and his Doctor of Philosophy in Organic Chemistry from City University of Hong Kong in 2003. Since joining PolyU in 2019 as a Research Assistant Professor, he has progressed to his current role, where he leads research in organic synthesis, catalysis, ionic liquids, biorecognition and molecular sensing, cell imaging, chemical biology, and drug discovery. His primary focus involves developing novel fluorescent small-molecule ligands that selectively target noncanonical nucleic acid secondary structures such as G-quadruplexes, alongside key bacterial proteins like NDM-1 and FtsZ, to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria and support innovative therapies for human diseases including cancer.

With 93 journal articles, 6 review articles, and a total of 99 research outputs, Professor Wong has made significant contributions to high-impact journals. Key publications include 'Recent advances in near-infrared fluorescent ligands as a novel frontier in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria' (Drug Resistance Updates, 2026), 'A new combination therapy utilizing mitochondria-targeting small-molecule ligands and clinical inhibitors against melanoma' (ACS Chemical Biology, 2026), 'Multifunctional RNA G-quadruplex ligand for integrated photodynamic therapy and oncoprotein translation inhibition in cancer cells' (Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2026), 'Mitochondria-selective dicationic small-molecule ligand targeting G-quadruplex structures for human colorectal cancer therapy' (Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2024), and 'A cytoplasm-specific fluorescent ligand for selective imaging of RNA G-quadruplexes in live cancer cells' (Chemistry–A European Journal, 2023). He holds three granted US patents on fullerene derivatives for organic photovoltaics, conductive and photosensitive polymers, and luminescent protein staining methods. His impactful work earned the ABCT Excellence Award 2024 for Research Output in Biology, and he has secured funding from the Health and Medical Research Fund for projects addressing superbug resistance. Professor Wong also contributes editorially as Associate Editor of Frontiers in Pharmacology since 2026 and Guest Editor of Molecules since 2022, enhancing the academic discourse in pharmacology and chemical biology.