Prof. Alexis K. H. Lau is Head and Chair Professor of the Division of Environment and Sustainability at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and Tang Junyuan Professor of Environmental Science. He received his B.Sc. in Physics from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, followed by graduate studies at the University of British Columbia and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. After postdoctoral research at the University of Washington in Seattle, he joined HKUST in 1994.

Prof. Lau’s research focuses on air quality, climate adaptation and resilience, urban weather and climate prediction, environmental health risk communication, and sustainability science. He has led numerous interdisciplinary research projects related to air pollution, climate risk, and urban environmental systems, with particular focus on Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. In 1996, he established the first university-based real-time numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems in Asia at HKUST, which has been continuously operating and evolving since then. His work also contributed to the development of Hong Kong’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) and more recently the PRAISE-HK system and long-term health-risk-based air quality metrics for public health risk communication. He has additionally been involved in regional environmental forecasting, climate resilience planning, and integrated environmental-health analytics through collaborations with government agencies, research institutions, and community stakeholders.

His recent work includes the development of health-risk-based air quality metrics and warning systems, urban climate and weather prediction initiatives, climate risk and resilience analytics, and integrated environmental-health early warning systems. He currently serves as focal point for the WCRP MyClimateRisk Hub Southeast Asia, the Director of the WWRP Urban-PREDICT International Coordination Office, and is actively involved in international collaborations on urban climate resilience and AI-enabled environmental prediction.

Prof. Lau has led over 90 research projects with cumulative funding exceeding HK$230 million and has published more than 280 peer-reviewed papers, with an H-index above 65. Recent recognitions include contributions to the PRAISE-HK system and leadership roles in international urban climate and resilience initiatives.