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return to press release index 19 Septermber 2006 SHKP and CUHK Present Nobel Laureate Lecture
Professor Ignarro talked about how Nitric Oxide strengthens the cardiovascular system and protects the body from pathological conditions. The lecture received overwhelming response from local academics, medical practitioners, business people and students. To promote academic exchange and allow more people to benefit from the inspiration of Professor Ignarro, the lecture was broadcast live to local universities, Hong Kong Education City, and 15 renowned Mainland universities including Peking University, Tsinghua University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Students and staff of these universities and all local secondary schools watched the lecture live through their campus network. CUHK Vice-Chancellor Professor Lawrence J. Lau said, ¡§I would like to reiterate the Chinese University¡¦s most grateful thanks to Sun Hung Kai Properties for its most generous financial support in presenting these lectures. We are also most honoured and privileged to have Professor Ignarro agree to serve as our Honorary Professor of Medicine. We very much look forward to his staunch support and sage advice in our quest for excellence in medical education and research.¡¨ Said Mr. Michael Wong, SHKP Executive Director, ¡§Sun Hung Kai Properties is committed to promoting education and life-long learning. Globalization makes it imperative that we all try to equip ourselves with a broader perspective and the most up-to-date knowledge. Our Nobel Laureates Distinguished Lectures provide an opportunity for people in Hong Kong to hear world-class scholars and benefit from their vision.¡¨ The lecture was on ¡§The Unique Role of Nitric Oxide as a Signaling Molecule¡¨. Nitric Oxide is an air pollutant, but it is also a signaling molecule in many functional systems and is beneficial to the human body. Professor Ignarro is the first scientist to discover that Nitric Oxide is responsible for penile erection. This led to the development of the drug Viagra, which has revolutionized the treatment of impotency. There are many as yet unknown functions of Nitric Oxide. This allows for an extensive opportunity to develop novel drugs to treat common disorders such as hypertension, stroke, atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, heart failure, and gastrointestinal ulcers. The Sun Hung Kai Properties Nobel Laureates Distinguished Lectures, launched in 2004, are sponsored by Sun Hung Kai Properties. Co-organized by SHKP and CUHK, the lecture series having Nobel Laureates speak to a broad cross-section of the community aims to promote the discovery and the dissemination of knowledge, professional and entrepreneurial expertise and contributions to humanity. This is the sixth installment of the lecture series. Ten Nobel Laureates, as well as several other renowned scholars, have lectured in Hong Kong so far.
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