Dr. Nicki Leung completed his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in the Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He then pursued postdoctoral training at the School of Life Sciences and Department of Paediatrics at CUHK, focusing on research for molecular diagnostics and novel immunotherapies for allergic diseases. In 2021, Dr. Leung joined the Centre for Oncology and Immunology to explore novel strategies in improving T cell-based immunotherapy under the supervision of Prof. Tak Mak. He joined the Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, CUHK as Research Assistant Professor in 2025. Dr. Leung served as co-investigators in various competitive grants including Research Impact Fund, Health and Medical Research Fund and Innovation Technology Fund. He was the co-inventor of 5 non-provisional US patents and his recent research interests include T cell immunotherapy, immuno-oncology and neuro-immune crosstalk.

 

Research Interests:
T cell immunotherapy; Immuno-oncology; Neuro-immune crosstalk

Research Grants (as co-investigator):
Health and Medical Research Fund – Molecular diagnosis for grass carp and salmon allergy (HKD 1,446,918)

Research Impact Fund – Innovative diagnosis and treatment for shrimp allergy (HKD 11,995,854)

Innovation and Technology Fund – Novel laboratory approach for fish allergy diagnosis (HKD 1,357,000)

Award and Honour:
Young Investigator Award, KAAACI-WPAS-INTERASMA Joint Congress, 2017
Outstanding Presentation Award, Hong Kong Inter-University Postgraduate Symposium in Life Sciences, 2015

Member, European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Member, American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Patents
Mimotopes for use in immunotherapy for shellfish and/or arthropod allergy (US15/173,467)
Met e 1 tropomyosin variants in for use in allergen-specific immunotherapy (US15/284,205)
Agents and methods for diagnosing fish allergy (US16/588,517)
Diagnostic markers for shrimp allergy (US17/335,602)
Use of virus-like particles in vaccination (US 63/642,559)

Press conference
CU Medicine studies suggest grass carp as a major source of fish allergy in Hong Kong and identify novel allergenic marker Cten i 1 to promote accurate diagnosis (17 December 2020).

Wai CYY*, Leung NYH* (co-first authors), Leung ASY*, Tang MF, DeWitt AM, Rosa Duque JS, Chua GT, Yau YS, Chan WH, Ho PK, Kwan MYW, Lee QU, Wong JSC, Lam ICS, Cheng JWCH, Luk DCK, Liu Z, Ngai NA, Chan OM, Leung PSC, Wong GWK and Leung TF. Fish allergenicity ladder and parvalbumin epitopes for predicting clinical cross-reactivity and reintroduction. Allergy 2025; DOI:10.1111/all.16562

Leung ASY, Wai CYY, Leung NYH, Ngai NA, Chua GT, Ho PK, Lam ICS, Cheng JWCH, Chan OM, Li PF, Au AWS, Leung CHW, Cheng NS, Tang MF, Fong BLY, Rosa Duque JS, Wong JSC, Luk DCK, Ho MHK, Kwan MYW, Yau YS, Lee QU, Chan WH, Wong GWK, Leung TF. Real-world sensitization and tolerance pattern to seafood in fish allergic individuals. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice 2024; 3:633-642

Wai CYY*, Leung NYH*(co-first authors), Leung ASY, Ngai SM, Pacharn P, Yau YS, Rosa Duque JSD, Kwan MYW, Jirapongsananuruk O, Chan WH, Chua GT, Lee QU, Piboonpocanun S, Ho PK, Wong JSC, Li S, Xu KJY, Wong GWK, Chu KH, Leung PSC, Vichyanond P, Leung TF. Comprehending the allergen repertoire of shrimp for precision molecular diagnosis of shrimp allergy. Allergy 2022; 77: 3041-3051

Leung NYH, Leung ASY, Xu JY, Wai CYY, Lam CY, Wong GWK and Leung TF. Molecular and immunological characterization of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) parvalbumin Cten i 1: A major fish allergen in Hong Kong. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology 2020; 31: 792-804 [Selected as Editor’s pick of the issue]

Leung NYH, Wai CYY, Chu KH and Leung PSC. 2019. Mimotope-based allergen-specific immunotherapy: ready for prime time? Cellular & Molecular Immunology 16: 890-891.

Leung NYH, Wai CYY, Ho MHK, Liu R, Wang JJ, Shu S, Chu KH, Leung PSC. Screening and identification of mimotopes of the major shrimp allergen tropomyosin using one-bead-one-compound peptide libraries. Cell & Molecular Immunology 2017; 14: 308-318

Leung NYH, Wai CYY, Shu SA, Chang CC, Chu KH and Leung, PSC. 2017. Low-dose allergen-specific immunotherapy induces tolerance in a murine model of shrimp allergy. International Archives of Allergy & Immunology 174: 86-96

Leung NYH, Wai CYY, Shu SA, Wang JJ, Kenny TP, Chu KH and Leung PSC. 2014. Current immunological and molecular biological perspectives on seafood allergy: A comprehensive review. Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology 46: 180-197


Book Chapters
Leung NYH, Wai CYY, Chu KH, Leung PSC. “Developments and emerging technologies in allergic and immunologic disease managenemtn”, in Chang C (ed.). Allergic and Immunological Diseases. Elsevier, San Diego, USA 2022

Wai CYY, Leung NYH, Chu KH, Leung PSC. “T-cell epitope immunotherapy in mouse models of food allergy”, in Nagamoto-Combs K (ed.). Animal models of allergic diseases. Humana Press, Totowa 2020

Leung NYH, Wai CYY, Chu KH, Leung PSC. “Advances in seafood allergy research: Allergen detection and allergen-specific immunotherapy”, in Abdel Rahman (ed.). Food Allergy - Methods of detection and clinical studies. Science Publishes, New Hampshire, USA 2017