1A-203, 2/F, Block 1, To Yuen Building
+852 3442-4493
+852 3442-0549
gigi.lo@cityu.edu.hk
CityU Scholars
Bioimaging • Drug delivery • Nanomedicine • Phototherapy • Supramolecular chemistry

Dr Gigi Lo obtained her BSc degree in chemistry with first class honors and PhD degree from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). After staying shortly at CUHK, she moved to the Division of Biophysics and Bioimaging of the Ontario Cancer Institute serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow for 2 years, where she developed her research interest in smart theranostic agents for cancer diagnosis and treatment. In 2009–2014, she was appointed as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry of CUHK. She joined the Department of Biomedical Sciences of City University of Hong Kong (CityU) as an Assistant Professor in January 2015 and was substantiated and promoted to Associate Professor in July 2021. She has published more than 90 papers in international peer-reviewed journals with an H-index of 37 (excluding self-citations as of October 2021).
Honous & AwardsNov 2021HKIAS Young Rising Star Lectureship
Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS), CityU
Jul 2021SPP/JPP Young Investigator Award
in the 11th International Conference on Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines
Research InterestsExploration of smart photosensitizers for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) and antimicrobial PDT
Development of stimuli-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles and polymeric micelles as multifunctional nanocarriers for imaging agents and photosensitizers
Design and preparation of nanodrugs through self-assembly of therapeutic components for cancer therapy
Concerted activation of photosensitizers and release of anticancer drugs through tetrazine-induced bioorthogonal decaging reactions
Most Representative Publications in the Recent Five YearsTotal Number of Publications = 91; H-index = 37 (excluding self-citations) as of October 2021
Encapsulating an Acid-Activatable Phthalocyanine-Doxorubicin Conjugate and the Hypoxia-Sensitive Tirapazamine in Polymeric Micelles for Multimodal Cancer Therapy, X. Guo, H. Jin, P.-C. Lo*, Biomater. Sci. 2021, 9, 4936-4951.
Ferric Ion Driven Assembly of Catalase-Like Supramolecular Photosensitizing Nanozymes for Combating Hypoxic Tumors, Y. Li, P. Sun, L. Zhao, X. Yan,* D. K. P. Ng,* P.-C. Lo*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 23228-23238.
Shifting the Absorption to the Near-infrared Region and Inducing a Strong Photothermal Effect by Encapsulating Zinc(II) Phthalocyanine in Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-hyaluronic Acid Nanoparticles, D. Gao, R. C. H. Wong, Y. Wang, X. Guo, Z. Yang,* P.-C. Lo*, Acta Biomater. 2020, 116, 329-343.
The Unique Features and Promises of Phthalocyanines as Advanced Photosensitisers for Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer, P.-C. Lo, M. S. Rodriguez-Morgade, R. K. Pandey,* D. K. P. Ng,* T. Torres,* F. Dumoulin*, Chem. Soc. Rev. 2020, 49, 1041-1056.
Construction of Cathepsin B-Responsive Fluorescent Probe and Photosensitizer using a Ferrocenyl Boron Dipyrromethene Dark Quencher, Q. Wang, L. Yu., R. C.-H. Wong, P.-C. Lo*, Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2019, 179, 828-836.
β-AlkenylBODIPY Dyes: Regioselective Synthesis via Oxidative C-H Olefination, Photophysical Properties, and Bioimaging Studies, J. Wang, Y. Li, Q. Gong, H. Wang, E. Hao, P.-C. Lo,* L. Jiao*, J. Org. Chem. 2019, 84, 5078-5090.
A Novel Distyryl Boron Dipyrromethene with Two Functional Tags for Site-specific Bioorthogonal Photosensitisation Towards Targeted Photodynamic Therapy, X. Guo, R. C. H. Wong, Y. Zhou, D. K. P. Ng, P.-C. Lo*, Chem. Commun. 2019, 55, 13518-13521.
Polymeric Micelles Encapsulating pH-Responsive Doxorubicin Prodrug and Glutathione-Activated Zinc(II) Phthalocyanine for Combined Chemotherapy and Photodynamic Therapy, D. Gao, P.-C. Lo*, J. Controlled Release 2018, 282, 46-61.
Endoplasmic Reticulum-Localized Two-Photon-Absorbing Boron Dipyrromethenes as Advanced Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy, Y.-M. Zhou, Y.-K. Cheung, C. Ma, S. Zhao, D. Gao, P.-C. Lo,* W.-P. Fong, K.-S. Wong, D. K. P. Ng*, J. Med. Chem. 2018, 61, 3952-3961.
pH-Responsive Dimeric Zinc(II) Phthalocyanine in Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as an Activatable Nanophotosensitizing System for Photodynamic Therapy, R. C. H. Wong, S. Y. S. Chow, S. Zhao, W.-P. Fong, D. K. P. Ng,* P.-C. Lo*, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2017, 9, 23487-23496.
Position AvailabilityWe are looking for graduate students and research assistants with research experience in synthetic chemistry and molecular pharmaceutics for cancer diagnosis and therapy.
PhD students are encouraged to apply through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, Department of Biomedical Sciences PhD programme or the Interdisciplinary Programme in Veterinary Medicine (in collaboration with Cornell University).
Interested candidates should send a full resume and copies of academic credentials to Dr Lo directly (gigi.lo@cityu.edu.hk).
9 October 2021


More Faculty