Assoc. Prof. Dr. Man Ho Chan | Dark Matter | Best Researcher Award

The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Dr. Chan Man Ho is a distinguished academic specializing in astrophysics, philosophy, and science education. He is currently an Assistant Dean and Associate Dean at the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, The Education University of Hong Kong. With over 100 refereed publications and multiple prestigious awards, Dr. Chan’s research spans dark matter, black holes, multiverse theories, and philosophy of science. His work has received international recognition, with media coverage in top science outlets. A committed educator and researcher, he actively contributes to the scientific community as a journal reviewer, conference organizer, and elected fellow of esteemed societies.

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🎓 Education

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Man Ho Chan is a distinguished academic with expertise spanning astrophysics, philosophy, and physics education. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Hong Kong Baptist University (2013–2017) under the supervision of Prof. Kwan Kai Man. Prior to that, he completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Physics Education) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2010–2012) and an M.A. in Christian Studies from the same institution (2008–2010). His strong foundation in astrophysics includes a Ph.D. (2004–2008) and an M.Phil. (2002–2004) from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, both supervised by Prof. Chu Ming Chung. Dr. Chan began his academic journey with a B.Sc. in Physics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (1999–2002), establishing a solid background in scientific research and interdisciplinary studies.

💼 Experience

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Man Ho Chan has an extensive academic and teaching career, currently serving as the Assistant Dean and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) since 2024. He has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Science and Environmental Studies at EdUHK since 2021, following his tenure as an Assistant Professor from 2015 to 2021. Before joining EdUHK, he was a Lecturer in the Department of Physics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong from 2012 to 2015. His early career includes valuable experience in secondary education, having taught at Shatin Pui Ying College (2005–2011) and Peace Evangelical Secondary School (2004–2005). His diverse roles reflect a strong commitment to education, research, and academic leadership.

🔬 Research Interests

Astrophysics: Dark Matter, Supermassive Black Holes, Exoplanets, Multiverse

Philosophy of Science: Cosmopsychism, Scientific Realism, Creativity

Science Education: Constructivist Learning, Early Science Literacy

🏆 Awards & Honors

2024 Honorable Mention, Awards for Essays on Gravitation (Gravity Research Foundation, USA)

2024 Departmental Teaching Excellence Award (EdUHK)

2023 Elected Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society (UK)

2023 President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Research (EdUHK)

2022 Humanities & Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship (Research Grants Council)

2022 Faculty Research Output Prize (EdUHK)

2021 Elected Fellow, International Society for Science and Religion

2020 President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Research (Early Career) (EdUHK)

📚 Selected Publications

Astrophysics:

"Identifying dark matter signals by the radio continuum spectral data of the cool-core cluster RX J1720.1+2638" (2025) – Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Co-authored with Chak Man Lee

Explores potential dark matter signals in galaxy clusters

[DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stae2638]

Science Education:

"Pathways to early science literacy: Investigating the different role of language and reading skills in science literacy among early primary school children" (2025) – International Journal of Science Education

Co-authored with Yuanke Sun

Examines the influence of language and reading skills on young students' science literacy

[DOI: 10.1080/09500693.2024.2335671]

"Constructivist learning approaches do not necessarily promote immediate learning outcome or interest in science learning" (2025) – The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher

Co-authored with Elaine Kit Ling Yeung, Miao Zhong, Jing Huang, Tik Sze Carrey Siu, and Him Cheung

Evaluates the effectiveness of constructivist learning methods in science education

[DOI: 10.1007/s40399-024-00893-8]

"The impact of immersive design on the relations between students’ motivational and science literacy awareness: A mixed methods study" (2025) – Cogent Education

Co-authored with Yuan-Ke Sun and Wing-Chi Wong

Investigates the effects of immersive learning environments on student motivation and science literacy

[DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2025.2467494]

Philosophy:

"On Philip Goff’s case for agentive cosmopsychism" (2024) – International Journal for Philosophy of Religion

Co-authored with Kai Yan Chan

Critically examines Goff's argument for cosmopsychism

[DOI: 10.1007/s11153-024-09931-3]

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vittoria Feola | Early Modern History | Best Researcher Award

University of Padua, Italy.

Vittoria Feola is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Padova, Italy. She earned her PhD in History from Cambridge University (2005) and has held prestigious research fellowships, including the Wiener-Anspach and Francqui Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Lise Meitner Senior Postdoc at the Medical University of Vienna. She has been a Senior Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University and a Guest Professor in Rome, among other international appointments. Feola's research explores intelligence, martyrdom, and religious networks in early modern Europe, particularly in the context of Anglo-Spanish relations and Elizabethan England.

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🎓 Education

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vittoria Feola holds a PhD in History from Cambridge University (2005) and has been recognized for her academic excellence through the Cambridge European Trust Award (2000-2003). Her research has been supported by prestigious institutions, including the British Federation of Women Graduates and the Cambridge European Trust, reflecting her significant contributions to historical scholarship.

🏛 Experience

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vittoria Feola is an Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Padova (2015–Present). She has also held prestigious academic positions, including Senior Visiting Research Associate at Oxford University (2014–2017) and Lektorin in Early Modern History of Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna. Additionally, she has served as a Guest Professor at the Pontifical University St. Thomas in Rome and has been a Visiting Fellow at leading institutions such as Yale, Stanford, Toronto, and Cambridge, underscoring her extensive international research collaborations and expertise in early modern history.

🔬 Research Interests

Religious Intelligence and Martyrdom in Anglo-Spanish Relations (1550-1598)

Early Modern Universities and Scientific Networks

Alchemy, Medicine, and Religion in Early Modern England and Europe

Circulation of Knowledge and Printing Networks in the 16th-18th centuries

🏆 Awards & Honors

2023 Erasmus+ Grant, Teaching Stay at the University of Granada

2023 Book Publication Grant for Martyrdom, Intelligence, and National Identity in Anglo-Spanish Relations, 1550-1598

2022 MINI SID Seed Funding for “Spies or Heretics?” Project

2015 Gerda Henkel Co-Funding Grant for the Bartolomeo Gamba Project

2014 Vienna City Council Prize for organizing Scientiae Vienna 2014

2002 British Federation of Women Graduates Research Award

📚 Notable Publications

📄 Feola, V. (2025). The uses of martyrdom works in Philip II's Spain and among Elizabethan English Catholics. Religion and Politics (forthcoming).

📄 Feola, V. (2025). Jesuit intelligence about Elizabethan England. Society and Politics (forthcoming).

📄 Feola, V. (2024). Autobiografia, cattolicesimo e sovranità: il caso di Elias Ashmole (1617-1692). Civiltà e Religioni, 10, 73-101.

📄 Feola, V. (2021). Alchemy, medicine, and religion in Elias Ashmole’s Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum. Civiltà e Religioni, VII, 87-122.

📄 Feola, V. (2019). Talismans as automata: Jacques Gaffarel’s Curiositez and the mechanisation of nature in 17th-century France. Society and Politics, 13(2), 61-86.

📄 Feola, V. (2019). Early Modern Violence and Religion. The Sixteenth Century Journal, 50.