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Science inspired by life: An interview with Dennis Lo#

Professor Dennis Lo MAE reflects on the discovery of cell-free fetal DNA, the global impact of non-invasive prenatal testing, and how everyday inspiration drives advances in diagnostic medicine.

Professor Dennis Lo
Professor Dennis Lo


About Dennis Lo MAE#

Professor Dennis Lo MAE is a world‑renowned molecular biologist, celebrated as the “Father of Non‑Invasive Prenatal Testing.” In 1997, he discovered cell‑free fetal DNA in maternal blood- a breakthrough sparked by watching instant noodles cook, which led him to extract fetal DNA from plasma and revolutionise prenatal diagnostics for Down syndrome, with over 100 million tests being utilised globally in more than 100 countries.

Since January 2025, he has served as the 9th Vice‑Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), where he champions a holistic, interdisciplinary education rooted in both the sciences and the humanities. He is also the Li Ka Shing Professor of Medicine at CUHK and currently serves as President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences.

His pioneering work has been honoured with prestigious awards, including the Future Science Prize in Life Science (2016), Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2021), Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award (2022), and the Jiménez Díaz Lecture Award (2024). He is a founding Member of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an International Member of the US National Academy of Sciences and was elected to Academia Europaea in 2025.

Professor Lo will deliver a plenary lecture at Academia Europaea’s Building Bridges 2025 conference in Barcelona. His presentation, Non‑invasive prenatal testing and cancer detection: From dream to reality will explore how prenatal diagnostics are now guiding groundbreaking approaches in cancer screening.

Read the interview#

Your discovery of cell‑free fetal DNA in maternal blood revolutionised prenatal care. How has this insight transformed how we understand pregnancy and prenatal testing overall?

“There are two aspects to consider. First, on the biological side: this discovery revealed that there’s communication between mother and baby via nucleic acids. In a 10-week pregnancy, about 15% of the DNA in the mother’s plasma comes from the baby, which is high. We also know that this DNA clears rapidly after delivery, and the half-life is just 16 minutes. That tells us this is a highly dynamic process, with constant DNA production from the baby and efficient clearance by the mother.

That’s the biological foundation. On the diagnostic side, it means we can take a simple blood sample from the mother and gain a wealth of information about the baby, starting with chromosomal abnormalities. We can go further to identify individual gene mutations and even sequence the entire genome of the fetus. And beyond DNA, we can now examine RNA, giving us insights into the baby’s gene expression profile.”



Non-invasive prenatal testing is now available in over 100 countries. What do you see as the global social impact of making this technology so widely accessible?

“It is natural for someone expecting a child to want to understand the baby’s health, especially the genetic aspects. In the past, looking at chromosomes and DNA required invasive procedures like amniocentesis. Amniocentesis carries a small but finite risk to the baby, which caused understandable worry for parents and families. Also, amniocentesis can only be done between 16 and 18 weeks of pregnancy, meaning you must wait before testing.

All this changed with non-invasive prenatal testing, which lets us gather that information as early as 10 weeks in a non-invasive way. It’s more accessible and reduces anxiety for expecting parents. Its implementation in numerous countries gives expectant families worldwide safer, earlier access to important genetic information.”



As a plenary speaker at Building Bridges 2025, how do you see collaboration across biology, engineering, ethics, and other disciplines shaping the future of diagnostic medicine?

“Scientific research is becoming increasingly multidisciplinary, and diagnostics is a clear example of that. Clinicians identify medical problems that need testing and treatment, and they interact directly with patients and research subjects. For example, for diagnostics, we need biologists, especially molecular biologists, who have the expertise and access to the laboratory technologies required to carry out those tests. In many cases, performing those tests also requires the development of devices – this is where engineers play a key role.

Increasingly, the devices used in diagnostics generate large volumes of data- what we often refer to as big data. To handle and interpret that data, we need data scientists, computer scientists, and people with expertise in artificial intelligence.

Finally, the development and use of technology must also consider broader societal, legal, and ethical dimensions. That is why it’s important to engage ethicists, legal experts, and review bodies to assess the ethics and desirability of introducing new technologies.”



Looking ahead, what frontier excites you most in the future of cell‑free DNA? Beyond prenatal and cancer testing, where do you think its potential lies?

“One of the major healthcare challenges today, especially in developed countries, is our ageing population. And of course, ageing brings many chronic diseases, with cancer being one of the most significant. One way to battle cancer is through early detection, which often leads to better outcomes with fewer side effects. That makes this an important area for development.

Another key area is other chronic disorders, such as neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s and strokes. Cardiovascular diseases also pose a significant concern. This raises the question: could liquid biopsy analysis be applied to these conditions as well?

In some chronic cases, treatment may involve transplantation. I discovered that after an organ transplant, DNA from the transplanted organ enters the recipient’s bloodstream. By measuring this donor-derived DNA, we can detect signs of organ rejection, because elevated levels indicate that the body is rejecting the graft. This provides a non-invasive way to monitor transplant health.

Finally, we can apply liquid biopsy to infectious diseases. We can detect microbial DNA (whether from bacteria or viruses) in the blood and derive useful health insights from it.”



Your breakthroughs have come from unexpected moments. For example, the way instant noodles separated while cooking led you to wonder whether fetal DNA might be hidden in plasma. Could you share another moment from daily life that inspired you?

“I view scientific research as a hobby rather than a job, which is why I truly enjoy the process. That means ideas can come to me when I am relaxed- when I am enjoying scenery or watching a film- and suddenly a new idea emerges. Recently, such moments led to some interesting discoveries. I was collaborating with an artist on a painting that depicted a railway track and a signal light controlling the gates. When I saw the painting, I immediately had an idea- the railway track reminded me of the helix of a DNA molecule. Then I thought of the signal light. Could it represent a cancer signal? If that signal caused the gates to close, could it act like a knife to cut up the DNA? In other words, when DNA in the blood is fragmented, could we infer the presence or absence of cancer from that pattern? So just like that, in the space of a few minutes, I conceived a new concept. This field is now called fragmentomics, resulting in a potential test for cancer detection.




Another example appeared in a publication from last year, when the editor asked us to suggest a cover image. The image showed chromosomes in black and white and included longer DNA fragments in blue floating around, alongside shorter fragments in red. I looked at the image and thought, “What does it remind me of?” And it occurred to me that it resembled the Hong Kong skyline- a view I see daily from my apartment window. That connection felt natural, and I really love that image and the inspiration behind it. I find it most fascinating when moments from daily life spark scientific insight.”







The interview was published 16th October 2025 and conducted by the Academia Europaea Cardiff Knowledge Hub.
For further information please contact AECardiffHub@cardiff.ac.uk.

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