Professor Karen Chan receives HKU’s Knowledge Exchange Excellence Award 2025
Updated on January 07, 2026 (Wed)
Professor Karen Chan, Associate Professor in the Faculty’s Academic Unit of Human Communication, Learning, and Development, has been awarded the University’s Knowledge Exchange (KE) Excellence Award 2025. This prestigious award recognises Professor Chan’s outstanding contributions in translating academic research into impactful real-world applications.
The winning project, titled “Care for You – Carefood Project,” was led by Professor Chan, who developed a standardised, scientifically validated approach to texture-modified foods for individuals with swallowing difficulties. Her work has driven the adoption of these standards by government bodies, industry stakeholders, and care facilities, facilitating widespread implementation in areas such as product labelling and cross-border standardisation. Through her leadership, the project has also introduced frozen care food products and established collaborations with major restaurant chains. These efforts have expanded access to safe, ready-to-eat meals, reduced manpower demands, and improved nutritional outcomes in elderly care settings.
With its remarkable reach and societal impact, the project has made substantial contributions to advancing care food standards and enhancing swallowing safety practices in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
The KE Excellence Award is a university-level award to recognise outstanding KE accomplishment that has made significant economic, social, environmental or cultural impacts to benefit society.
To know more about Professor Chan’s project, please visit:
https://www.ke.hku.hk/research-impact/honours-and-awards/ke-excellence-award
Our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Chan for her commendable work on KE!
