Vic's participation in research projects while at HKUST led him to pursue PhD studies in related subject matters at Brown University, where he was awarded the Dissertation Fellowship and the Anthony Houghton Award for Theoretical Physics. He became the first joint postdoctoral fellow of the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2008, following which he spent two years as a Croucher Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT. He was awarded the School of Science Research Award of HKUST in 2014 and the prestigious Croucher Innovation Award 2015.

Currently, Vic's research interests lie in condensed matter theory, and his studies focus on strongly correlated systems and on topological phases, particularly on fractional quantum Hall states, topological insulators and topological superconductors. In 2015, Vic led a team of researchers to come up with an explanation for the complex phenomenon of superconductivity that survives under strong magnetic fields, offering a theoretical answer to an unsolved experimental observation by a group of scientists in the Netherlands. The collective findings were published in Science in late 2015.

Vic is grateful to his alma mater for laying a solid foundation for his academic career. "HKUST provided me with a solid undergraduate training which helped me to cope with the many challenges that I had to face as a theoretical physicist," he says. He also believes that the many life-long friends he met at HKUST during his undergraduate years made his path of academic pursuit full of love and joy. Now, as a faculty member in the department of physics, he is committed to nurturing a new generation of students and helping them to find their own path and to develop their potential.

In July 2017, Vic was granted the title of Dr Tai-chin Lo Associate Professor of Science in recognition of his academic achievements and contributions. He is also a funding member and the founding President of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, which is a platform for young scientists and engineers to serve the community with their expertise.