Biography

Prof. Samuel Yu has 30 years of experience as an environment, health and safety professional.  Prof. Yu is currently the Director of the Health, Safety and Environment Office (HSEO)* of HKUST. His main duties include establishing campus health, safety and environmental policies, and implementation of relevant programs. Prof. Yu also oversees the Center of Laboratory Supplies (CLS) and the Sustainability Unit, as well as the Campus Medical Clinic and Student Dental Clinic. As an adjunct faculty of the Division of Environment and Sustainability, Prof. Yu teaches PG and UG courses, and serves as supervisor of PG students.

Prof. Yu obtained his doctorate degree in Environmental Science and Engineering, a multidisciplinary program at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Before joining HKUST, Prof. Yu served as an environmental specialist in the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) in the United States from 1989 to 1993.  He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.

*Health, Safety and Environment Office (HSEO) Home Page: https://hseo.hkust.edu.hk/

Recent Publications

• P. Millett, T. Binz, S.W. Evans, T. Kuiken, K. Oye, M.J. Palmer, C. van der Vlugt, K. Yambao, and S. Yu (2019) Developing a comprehensive, adaptive, and international biosafety and biosecurity program for advanced biotechnology: the iGEM experience. Applied Biology 2019:24(2) pp. 1-8 DOI: 10.1177/1535676019838075
• S. Yu (2018) Safety and hygiene considerations of green laboratory practices. Presented at the 3rd Asian Network of Occupational Hygiene Conference, Taipei, Taiwan ROC, Nov 4-6, 2018.
• S. Yu (2018) From establishing a campus EHS program in Hong Kong to promoting industrial hygiene in China—the unique experience of HKUST. Presented at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo, Philadelphia, USA, May 21-23, 2018.
• S. Yu (2018) Green laboratory practices and safety. Presented at Hong Kong Institute of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene Technical Conference, Hong Kong, Apr 14, 2018. 
• S. Yu (2017) Managing safety of research involving nanomaterial. Presented at International Laboratory Safety Conference, Tertiary Institutions Safety Advisory Group, Hong Kong, Nov 22-23, 2017.
• S. Yu (2017) Regulation (or the Lack of it) on Biosafety and Genetic Engineering in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Presented at Workshop on Regulatory Issues Associated with Genome Editing and Gene Drive - Regulation of Synthetic Biology in Asia, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 3-4 Apr, 2017.
• S. Yu, J. Kwan, P. To, C. Chiu, D. Yue, Yang X., Li R., Wang L., Li H. (2016) A Survey of Laboratory Safety at Eight Major Universities in China. Presented at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo, Baltimore, USA, May 21-26, 2016.
• S. Yu (2015) Quality Assurance of Occupational Hygiene and Environmental Analysis. Presented at the 1st China-US Occupational Health Symposia, Shanghai, China, Sep 15-16, 2015. 
• S. Yu & S. Tung (2015) Managing Safety of Research Involving Nanomaterial. Presented at the Campus Safety Health and Environmental Management Association 62nd Annual Conference, Washington DC, USA, Jul 17-22, 2015.
• Liu X, Zhang Y, Li J, Wang D, Wu Y, Li Y, Lu Z, Yu S, Li R, Yang X (2014) Cognitive deficits and decreased locomotor activity induced by single-walled carbon nanotubes and neuroprotective effects of ascorbic acid. International Journal of Nanomedicine 2014:9(1) pp. 823 – 839. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S56339