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Albert Fok, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher

My name is Albert, and I am a FRQS postdoctoral fellow in the Murai lab (McGill, Montreal, QC, Canada) collaborating extensively with the Brandon lab members. Before starting my postdoctoral training, I completed my PhD at the University of Hong Kong with Dr. Cora Sau Wan Lai and Dr. Kwok On Lai studying how dendritic spine plasticity is regulated by KIF5B transport and affects memory formation. Currently I am interested in studying the role of a type of glial cells, astrocytes, in modulating neural network and encoding information. I am also interested in studying the ultrastructure and structural plasticity of astrocytes, and how these unique astrocytic features integrate with our current understanding of neuron-centric view of cognitive functions. My current research projects will also contribute to the understanding of obsessive compulsory disorders (OCDs), Alexander Disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The major tools I am adopting include calcium miniscope imaging, 2-photon head-fixed chronic imaging, in utero electroporation and various behavioral and computational analyses. Outside of the laboratory, I enjoy running, practicing my French with Quebecois outside of Montreal and swimming in a lake.

Fok, AHK*, Huang, Y*, So, BWL, Zheng, Q., Tse, CSC, Li, X., Wong, KKY, Huang, J., Lai, KO, Lai, CSW. (2023). KIF5B plays important roles in dendritic spine plasticity anddendritic localization of PSD95 and FMRP in the mouse cortex in vivo. Cell Reports, under revision 2


Chierzi, S., Kacerovsky, J. B., Fok, A. H., Lahaie, S., Rosen, A. S., Farmer, W. T., & Murai, K. K. (2023). Astrocytes Transplanted during Early Postnatal Development Integrate, Mature, and Survive Long Term in Mouse Cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 43(9), 1509-1529.


Huang, Y; Jiang, H; Zheng, Q; Fok, AHK; Li, X; Lau, CG; Lai, CSW. (2021). Environmental enrichment or selective activation of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons ameliorates synaptic and behavioral deficits in animal models with schizophrenia-like behaviors during adolescence. Molecular Psychiatry. 26(6): 2533-2552.


He, H., Ren, Y. X., Chan, R. K., So, W. L., Fok, H. K., Lai, C. S., Tsai, K.K., Wong, K. K. (2021). Background-free volumetric two-photon microscopy by side-lobes-cancelled bessel beam. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 27(4), 1-7.


He, H., Kong, C., Chan, K. Y., So, W. L., Fok, H. K., Ren, Y. X., ... & Wong, K. K. (2020). Resolution enhancement in an extended depth of field for volumetric two-photon microscopy. Optics Letters, 45(11), 3054-3057.


Zhao, J*; Fok, AHK*; Fan, R; Kwan, PY; Chan, HL; Lo, LHY; Chan, YS; Yung, WH; Huang, JD; Lai, CSW; Lai, KO. (2020). Specific depletion of the motor protein KIF5B leads to deficits in dendritic transport, synaptic plasticity and memory. eLife. 9(e53456): e53456

Published Papers

  • 2022- Postdoctoral fellow at McGill University. Emphases: marmoset and rodent calcium imaging, behavioral analysis, astrocyte-neuronal interactions

  • 2016-2021 Graduate student at the University of Hong Kong. Emphases: 2-photon chronic structural imaging, dendritic spine plasticity, fear memory, dendritic transport

  • 2012-2016 Undergraduate student at the University of Hong Kong. Emphases: biomedical sciences, genetics, pharmacology

Education

  • Teaching assistant, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University. Course Title: Research Fundamentals INDS123/223 Date: 09/2022-present

  • Volunteer teacher, BrainReach Elementary. Date: 09/2022-06/2023

  • Tutor, University of Hong Kong. Course Title: BBMS3011 Molecular neuroscience Date: 09/2017-08/2019

  • Laboratory demonstrator, University of Hong Kong. Date: 2016-2020

Appointments

Awards, Recognition

  • FRQS Postdoctoral Fellowship Amount: $90,000 CAD Date: 05/2023- 04/2025

  • Grete Roggenburg Research Award Amount: $10,000 CAD Date: 09/2023-08/2024

  • Auxiliary of the MGH Research Award Amount: $10,000 CAD Date: 09/2023-08/2024

  • Postgraduate Scholarships Amount: $944,520 HKD Date: 09/2016-12/2021

  • HKU Foundation Scholarships for Outstanding Students Amount: $6,000 HKD Date: 09/2012

Albert Fok, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher

  • 2022- Postdoctoral fellow at McGill University. Emphases: marmoset and rodent calcium imaging, behavioral analysis, astrocyte-neuronal interactions

  • 2016-2021 Graduate student at the University of Hong Kong. Emphases: 2-photon chronic structural imaging, dendritic spine plasticity, fear memory, dendritic transport

  • 2012-2016 Undergraduate student at the University of Hong Kong. Emphases: biomedical sciences, genetics, pharmacology

Education

  • Teaching assistant, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University. Course Title: Research Fundamentals INDS123/223 Date: 09/2022-present

  • Volunteer teacher, BrainReach Elementary. Date: 09/2022-06/2023

  • Tutor, University of Hong Kong. Course Title: BBMS3011 Molecular neuroscience Date: 09/2017-08/2019

  • Laboratory demonstrator, University of Hong Kong. Date: 2016-2020

Appointments

Awards, Recognition

  • FRQS Postdoctoral Fellowship Amount: $90,000 CAD Date: 05/2023- 04/2025

  • Grete Roggenburg Research Award Amount: $10,000 CAD Date: 09/2023-08/2024

  • Auxiliary of the MGH Research Award Amount: $10,000 CAD Date: 09/2023-08/2024

  • Postgraduate Scholarships Amount: $944,520 HKD Date: 09/2016-12/2021

  • HKU Foundation Scholarships for Outstanding Students Amount: $6,000 HKD Date: 09/2012

Fok, AHK*, Huang, Y*, So, BWL, Zheng, Q., Tse, CSC, Li, X., Wong, KKY, Huang, J., Lai, KO, Lai, CSW. (2023). KIF5B plays important roles in dendritic spine plasticity anddendritic localization of PSD95 and FMRP in the mouse cortex in vivo. Cell Reports, under revision 2


Chierzi, S., Kacerovsky, J. B., Fok, A. H., Lahaie, S., Rosen, A. S., Farmer, W. T., & Murai, K. K. (2023). Astrocytes Transplanted during Early Postnatal Development Integrate, Mature, and Survive Long Term in Mouse Cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 43(9), 1509-1529.


Huang, Y; Jiang, H; Zheng, Q; Fok, AHK; Li, X; Lau, CG; Lai, CSW. (2021). Environmental enrichment or selective activation of parvalbumin-expressing interneurons ameliorates synaptic and behavioral deficits in animal models with schizophrenia-like behaviors during adolescence. Molecular Psychiatry. 26(6): 2533-2552.


He, H., Ren, Y. X., Chan, R. K., So, W. L., Fok, H. K., Lai, C. S., Tsai, K.K., Wong, K. K. (2021). Background-free volumetric two-photon microscopy by side-lobes-cancelled bessel beam. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 27(4), 1-7.


He, H., Kong, C., Chan, K. Y., So, W. L., Fok, H. K., Ren, Y. X., ... & Wong, K. K. (2020). Resolution enhancement in an extended depth of field for volumetric two-photon microscopy. Optics Letters, 45(11), 3054-3057.


Zhao, J*; Fok, AHK*; Fan, R; Kwan, PY; Chan, HL; Lo, LHY; Chan, YS; Yung, WH; Huang, JD; Lai, CSW; Lai, KO. (2020). Specific depletion of the motor protein KIF5B leads to deficits in dendritic transport, synaptic plasticity and memory. eLife. 9(e53456): e53456

Published Papers

My name is Albert, and I am a FRQS postdoctoral fellow in the Murai lab (McGill, Montreal, QC, Canada) collaborating extensively with the Brandon lab members. Before starting my postdoctoral training, I completed my PhD at the University of Hong Kong with Dr. Cora Sau Wan Lai and Dr. Kwok On Lai studying how dendritic spine plasticity is regulated by KIF5B transport and affects memory formation. Currently I am interested in studying the role of a type of glial cells, astrocytes, in modulating neural network and encoding information. I am also interested in studying the ultrastructure and structural plasticity of astrocytes, and how these unique astrocytic features integrate with our current understanding of neuron-centric view of cognitive functions. My current research projects will also contribute to the understanding of obsessive compulsory disorders (OCDs), Alexander Disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The major tools I am adopting include calcium miniscope imaging, 2-photon head-fixed chronic imaging, in utero electroporation and various behavioral and computational analyses. Outside of the laboratory, I enjoy running, practicing my French with Quebecois outside of Montreal and swimming in a lake.
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