Rate My Professor Jenny Lee

Professor Jenny Hiu Ching Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics within the Faculty of Science at the University of Hong Kong. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, followed by Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Michigan State University. Her research specializes in experimental nuclear physics, particularly the studies of nucleon correlations and the evolution of nuclear shell structure. She employs advanced experimental techniques including direct reactions, in-beam gamma spectroscopy, and beta-decay spectroscopy. As the leader of the HKU Experimental Nuclear Physics Group, she oversees research conducted at world-leading facilities such as RIKEN in Japan, NSCL/FRIB in the United States, HIAF in China, and Spiral2 in France. Her group has made significant discoveries, including new nuclear magic numbers that reveal the nature of alpha clustering and nucleon correlations in exotic nuclei, as well as high-precision mass measurements essential for understanding nucleosynthesis processes. Additionally, her team has pioneered instrumentation developments, such as a large-coverage silicon detection array with frontend ASIC readout electronics, a state-of-the-art multireflection time-of-flight spectrometer, and a major upgrade to the DALI2 gamma-ray detection array, achieving world-leading resolution and efficiency.

Professor Lee's impactful contributions are evidenced by key publications such as 'Low-Lying Structure of 50Ar and the N=32 Subshell Closure' (Physical Review Letters, 2015), 'Evidence for a new nuclear "magic" number from the structure of 54Ca' (Nature, 2013), 'Neutron-proton asymmetry dependence of spectroscopic factors in Ar isotopes' (Physical Review Letters, 2010), and 'Well-developed deformation in 42Si' (Physical Review Letters, 2012). She has received prestigious recognitions including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Excellent Young Scientists Fund in 2021, the NSFC/RGC Joint Research Fund for 2025/26, and the HKU Outstanding Departmental Safety Representative Award in 2018. Her work has advanced the field of nuclear structure physics and experimental methodologies, fostering international collaborations and enhancing precision in nuclear spectroscopy.