FHS Presents Best Teacher Awards for the 2025/2026 Academic Year

FHS recently presented the Best Teacher Awards for the 2025/2026 academic year, recognising four members of academic staff for their outstanding achievements in teaching, research, and professional service. The awards were conferred by FHS Dean Chuxia DENG, and presented to Prof Robert David SMITH (Excellence in Teaching), Prof Yunlu DAI (Excellence in Research), Prof Xuanjun ZHANG (Excellence in Service), and Prof Qi ZHAO (All Round Performance). Each awardee has demonstrated exceptional professional competence and far‑reaching educational and scholarly impact within their respective fields.

Prof Smith teaches epidemiology and public health-related courses and is highly regarded by students for his clear and engaging teaching style, as well as his rigorous approach to pedagogy. He is committed to enhancing classroom interaction and the overall learning experience, and he consistently incorporates emerging public health issues into his teaching to strengthen students’ analytical skills and sense of social responsibility. His research focuses on analysing social health inequalities using large‑scale healthcare data, with particular attention to disparities affecting individuals with mental illness and other disadvantaged groups. He has published more than 20 academic papers across a range of clinical topics and quantitative research methodologies.

Prof Dai has achieved remarkable research outcomes in biomaterials and nanomedicine. He has received several prestigious honours, including the Excellent Young Scientists Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (2022) and the Macao Science and Technology Award (2024). His research is centred on biomaterials and nanomedical technologies, through which he has made several breakthrough advances. As corresponding author, he has published SCI papers in leading journals such as Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie, and Advanced Materials.

Prof Zhang serves as Assistant Dean (Student Affairs) of FHS and has long been dedicated to student support and talent development. He works closely with Residential Colleges, the Student Affairs Office, and Student Association of FHS (or “FHSSA”) to respond to student needs, provide personalised guidance, and help students balance academic progress with personal growth. To broaden students’ learning horizons, he has organised a wide range of academic lectures, workshops, and team‑building activities, creating enriching platforms for learning and exchange that foster holistic development. In addition to his contributions to student affairs, he has an excellent research record in fluorescent probes and nanosensors, with applications in cancer studies, neurodegenerative disease research, and toxic substance detection.

Prof Zhao received the Best Teacher Award (All-Round Performance) in recognition of his distinguished contributions across teaching, research, and service. His research has long focused on antibody drug development and tumour cell immunotherapy, leading to significant scientific advances in these fields. He also holds important leadership roles, including serving as Director of the Hengqin UM–China Resources Pharmaceutical Laboratory. To date, Prof Zhao has published more than 160 research papers in top-tier international journals such as Nature Communications, Clinical Cancer Research, Journal of Hematology & Oncology, and the Journal of the American Chemical Society. He holds 17 national and Chinese invention patents, two of which have been submitted for Investigational New Drug (IND) applications in the United States. His accomplishments have also been recognised with prestigious honours, including the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) Federal Technology Transfer Award and the Geneva International Invention Award. In addition, he has secured multiple competitive research grants, including funding from the Key Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, further affirming his scientific excellence and research impact.

FHS is committed to advancing high‑quality teaching and world‑class research, with a mission to nurture health sciences professionals equipped with international vision, strong professional competence, and a deep sense of social responsibility. The Best Teacher Awards honour academic staff who have made outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and service, recognising their meaningful impact on the faculty and the broader academic community, and showcasing the faculty’s dedication to continuous enhancement of higher education and research excellence.