Research Interrupted in Hong Kong Amid Protests

While short-term disruptions are manageable, scientists say, they are still concerned the unrest—and possible political ramifications—will affect the country’s research programs long-term.

Written byAbby Olena, PhD

| 4 min read

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ABOVE: The crowd at a rally against the proposed extradition bill in Hong Kong on June 9, 2019
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This time of year, Daniel Chu, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, and his colleagues would typically be visiting local live poultry markets weekly and collecting fecal samples from domestic and wild birds to monitor the spread of influenza virus. But now, with some of those markets in areas that have been rocked by clashes between pro-democracy protestors and police—conflict that’s ramped up over the last two weeks—the researchers have suspended most of their surveillance for the time being.

In addition to not having the samples they need, most of Chu’s colleagues can’t get to work, as protestors have disrupted the country’s transportation system by erecting roadblocks and destroying some of the elevators and tracks that serve the Mass Transit Railway. According to The Guardian, police have also ...

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Meet the Author

Abby Olena, PhD
As a freelancer for The Scientist, Abby reports on new developments in life science for the website. She has a PhD from Vanderbilt University and got her start in science journalism as the Chicago Tribune’s AAAS Mass Media Fellow in 2013. Following a stint as an intern for The Scientist, Abby was a postdoc in science communication at Duke University, where she developed and taught courses to help scientists share their research. In addition to her work as a science journalist, she leads science writing and communication workshops and co-produces a conversational podcast. She is based in Alabama.
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