I am eager to participate in the Hong Kong Laureate Forum 2025, as it provides a unique platform to engage with world-renowned scholars and like-minded young researchers. As a passionate researcher in Life Sciences, I believe the Forum’s interdisciplinary discussions, networking opportunities, and knowledge exchange will enrich my academic and professional growth.
My research focuses on environmental sustainability, particularly nutrient recovery from water sources. Addressing global challenges like eutrophication and water pollution requires collaboration between environmental engineering, microbiology, and biochemistry. The Forum’s emphasis on cross-disciplinary interactions will allow me to explore novel approaches and integrate insights from diverse scientific perspectives.
Engaging in plenary lectures, panel discussions, and informal gatherings will provide a rare opportunity to exchange ideas with laureates and peers, fostering innovative solutions in life sciences. Furthermore, the forum’s dynamic environment will help me build long-lasting professional connections that can lead to potential research collaborations.
By participating in this prestigious event, I aim to contribute my knowledge while gaining fresh perspectives that can drive impactful research. I am excited about the prospect of learning, exchanging ideas, and growing as a researcher in an inspiring global setting.

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Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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I am Uzma Shaheen, awarded a fully funded master’s scholarship at a prestigious Chinese university, where I honed my research skills. I published two SCI articles: first author in [Microporous and Mesoporous Materials] titled 'Evaluation of potential adsorbents for simultaneous adsorption of phosphate and ammonium at low concentrations,' in [Environment International ] and co-author on 'Nanoplastic contamination: Impact on zebrafish liver metabolism and implications for aquatic environmental health.' Graduating in January 2025, I completed a one-year university internship and applied for a PhD in China, successfully interviewed, and submitted my application, with results announced in August. This journey has been

Evaluation of potential adsorbents to tackle eutrophication caused by low concentrations of phosphate and ammonium are rarely reported in the literature. Besides, the dynamics/mechanisms for removal of these pollutants at low concentration are yet to be explored. In this study we used five different adsorbents, including La-modified zeolite (LMZ), MgFe-modified biochar (MgFe-BC), phoslock, activated alumina (AA), and diatomaceous earth (DE) to evaluate the removal of these pollutants. Among the selected adsorbents in this study, LMZ and AA both exhibited effective and simultaneous adsorption for phosphate and ammonium and the maximum adsorption capacities were 2.47 mg/g and 3.07 mg/g, respectively.
LMZ adsorption kinetics was over 3 times faster than other adsorbents within 60 min reaction time. Kinetics studies and isotherms revealed that the removal of phosphate and ammonium was primarily driven by chemical interactions and monolayer adsorption and were better fitted by Langmuir isotherm than the Freundlich isotherm and kinetic study was effectively described by Pseudo-second-order kinetic model. FTIR and XPS analysis revealed that the key mechanisms for phosphate adsorption were electrostatic attraction and inner sphere complexation through ligand exchange, whereas ammonium adsorption was mainly governed by ion exchange. Desorption study revealed that LMZ material was stable after three desorption cycles.