Universities convene for the Sino-Australian Research Symposium

On 1 November, researchers from Sydney and Shanghai met at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine for the 11th annual Sino-Australian Research Symposium. The symposium focused on the topic of 'Environment and Genetic Factors in Health and Diseases'.

Professor Jianrong Shi, Vice General Secretary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, opened the Symposium, where 13 experts from the two institutions presented on a range of topics relating to environment and genetic factors in health and diseases, such as physical activity and Type 2 diabetes, genetic factors in cardiovascular disease, and gut microbiota and the immune response.

Professor Arthur Conigrave, Head of School and Dean of Sydney Medical School, provided an overview of our long established relationship with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine across a wide range of activities including collaborations in medical and public health education and research, student exchanges, joint PhD supervision, winter school programs and the annual joint research symposia.

Examples of recent research collaborations include:

• Professor John Rasko (Centenary Institute) and Professor Weili Zhao (State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics; Shanghai Institute of Haematology; Shanghai Rui Jin Hospital) on “Dissecting Alternative Splicing in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma”
• Professor Bob Bao (Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences) and Professor Tao Kun, (Tong Ren Hospital) on the role of interleukin-38 in the colon cancer.
• Professor Stephen Twigg (Charles Perkins Centre and RPA) and Professor BI Yufang, Ruijin Hospital on “PACE-G” - Impact of Exercise Intervention on the Phenome (Metabolism and Predictive Complications) in Well Characterised Prediabetes and New Onset Type 2 Diabetes Cohorts in China and Australia
• Professor Anthony Keech (NHMRC CTC) and Professor Weiping Jia, 6th People's Hospital on “Biomarkers for Risk and Outcomes of Type 2 Diabetes: A Discovery and Validation Approach in Australian and Chinese subjects”
• Professor Ben Freedman (Deputy Director Cardiovascular Research Strategy) and Dr Wang Jiguang (The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension, Ruijin Hospital) on randomised comparison between intensive and usual ECG screening for atrial fibrillation in elderly Chinese and automated ECG system in the community health centre in Shanghai.

Several researchers from the University of Sydney, including scientists and a doctoral student, were able to take part in the Symposium, which is a recognised as a key annual event in the University of Sydney’s relationship with China.

The 2019 Sino-Australian Research Symposium will take place in Sydney. The topic is still being confirmed, though potential topics include neuro-sciences and paediatrics.