BMI has selected the following four strategic research areas:

Strategic Area 1: Optimizing language learning in early childhood

Under this strategic research theme, CUHK colleagues from Linguistics, Otolaryngology, Psychology, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, and Biomedical Sciences will:

• Identify peri-natal genetic, neural and behavioral markers for language problems in early childhood
• Develop early intervention strategies for preventing or treating language disorders
• Enhance bilingualism and multilingualism in both typical and atypical pediatric populations

Strategic Area 2: Defining the broad autism phenotype in Chinese societies

Under this strategic research theme, CUHK scientists from Psychology, Psychiatry, Educational Psychology, Public Health, and Biomedical Sciences will:

• Define the autism phenotype and endophenotype in the Chinese population
  
• Develop better behavioral diagnostic instruments for ASD in Chinese societies
  
• Link phenotypic characteristics of ASD to molecular defects, and uncover pathophysiological mechanisms
  
• Examine relationships between autism and other CNS-related deficits (e.g., the Brain-Gut Axis)

Strategic Area 3: Enhancing treatments for dyslexia

Under this strategic research theme, CUHK researchers from Psychology, Linguistics, Biomedical Sciences, and Education Psychology will:

• Identify genetic and neural markers of dyslexia in Chinese and English speakers
• Personalize treatment by prescribing different therapies based on individual subjects’biomarkers including genetic, neural, and behavioral markers

Strategic Area 4: Identifying molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration

Under this strategic research theme, CUHK researchers from Biomedical Sciences,Linguistics, Psychiatry, Obstetrics, Paediatrics and Otolaryngology will:

• Identify core molecular mechanisms of typical neurodevelopment and learning
• Examine molecular defects in developmental disorders such as ASD and their functional consequences