Smart Home Solutions: Fostering Wellness Across Generations

Dr. Donna Brown is the Associate Director of Digital Health, Life and Health Technology at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), where she drives ecosystem development and commercialization in digital health and medical technology. She supports entrepreneurs across the Life and Health Technology value chain while spearheading strategic initiatives and business matching programs to connect innovators with key stakeholders, transforming ideas into market-ready solutions.

A seasoned healthcare professional with over 20 years of experience, Dr. Brown has held commercial, industrial, and leadership roles at several Fortune 500 multinationals. Her extensive career in pharmaceuticals and medical device technology across Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong has equipped her with deep expertise in strategic and operational business management, as well as talent development.

Passionate about fostering innovation, Dr. Brown actively engages with the startup community to accelerate the translational development of biomedical and health technologies in the region. Beyond guiding startups in refining their business cases and value propositions, she provides critical networking and resource opportunities to support their growth. She has served as a mentor for health and wearable technology startups in PolyU’s Lean Launchpad Program for five years and holds advisory roles with the Innovation and Technology for Ageing (ITA) Committee, the HKCSS Strategy Committee on Tech-Enablement, and the Steering Committee of the Translational Research Center for Digital Mental Health at Tung Wah College.

In addition to her work at HKSTP, Dr. Brown is a part-time lecturer in Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance at HKU SPACE College of Life Sciences and Technology.

Trained as a research scientist, she holds a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Hong Kong.

Prof. Benny Zee is the Director of the Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS), Director of the Centre for Clinical Research and Biostatistics (CCRB) and Professor of Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). In addition, he holds honorary appointments in the Department of Clinical Oncology and the Department of Statistics of CUHK; he was the Chairperson of the Joint CUHK-NTEC Clinical Research Ethics Committee from 2006-2020. He is also the Director of the Clinical Trials and Biostatistics Lab at the CU Shenzhen Research Institute (SZRI).

Professor Zee obtained his PhD in Biostatistics from the University of Pittsburgh, USA, in 1987. He then joined the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group (NCIC CTG), currently known as the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG), as a Senior Biostatistician. After joining CUHK in 2001, he actively promotes international academic activities and collaborations.

Professor Zee is interested in multi-centre clinical trials, including statistical methods, data management, and drug and medical device development. He has experience developing efficient data management and “big data analytic” research using advanced computer and AI technology. He also has ample experience working with the industry to design and carry out clinical trials that satisfy both academic interests and industry objectives. He has tremendous experience developing hospital infrastructures such as the Ethics Committee, GCP Centre and Risk-based Quality Assurance to conduct clinical research that meets regulatory and international requirements. He is also active in medical device development, such as “AI-based retinal imaging analysis (ARIA)”, to assess the risk of stroke, dementia, diabetes and other chronic diseases. The technology has obtained patents from the USA, China and Taiwan and was commercialised through Health View Bioanalytic Limited with support from the Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities (TSSSU) of the Innovation Technology Commission (ITC) of Hong Kong. In addition, he is also active in bioinformatics research and co-founded Beth Bioinformatics Company Limited to predict virus mutation and use digital methods to assess vaccine effectiveness. He has published over 309 international peer-reviewed journal articles and many patents. He serves on various committees, including advisory committees for drug development and data & safety monitoring committees for international drug trials.

My Sustainability Goals for 2025:

1. The Hong Kong healthcare system successfully transitions to a prevention-first model, prioritizing early prevention and accessible, cost-effective screening. The incidence of chronic and preventable diseases will decrease considerably, ultimately reducing healthcare expenditure in the long run.
2. Hong Kong citizens have easy access to resources and environment that promote holistic wellbeing for both physical health and mental health, fostering a high quality of life for the community.