On December 3, the 2022 Pengcheng International Forum on Medical Genetics and Academic Symposium Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Mendel’s Birth was successfully held via online conference. Co-sponsored by Xuzhou Medical University, the Chinese Society of Genetics and the Jiangsu Genetics Society, the event was undertaken by the School of Life Sciences, the Key Laboratory of Basic Genetics and Clinical Application, and the Xuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Translation of Xuzhou Medical University, as well as the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office) and the Overseas Chinese Federation of Xuzhou Medical University.
The conference was attended by Professor Cao Junli, Vice President of Xuzhou Medical University; Professor Wang Xiue, Chairperson of the Jiangsu Genetics Society; Professor Li Zongyun, Executive Director of the Jiangsu Genetics Society; Professor Gao Can, Dean of the School of Life Sciences; Professor Li Chong, Party Branch Secretary; Professor Liu Yi, Vice Dean; and Zheng Peng, Deputy Party Branch Secretary of the School of Life Sciences. Distinguished experts were invited to deliver academic reports, including Professor Xiang Jialing from Illinois Institute of Technology, Professor Zhang Jie from Xiamen University, Professor Sun Fei from Zhejiang University, Professor Li Wei from Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Professor Zhu Guang from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Professor Qian Chengmin from the University of Hong Kong, Researcher Hu Xiangming from Fujian Medical University, and Associate Professor Wang Zhichao from Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. More than 200 experts, scholars and graduate students at home and abroad participated in the symposium.
The first half of the forum featured exclusive expert academic reports. Professor Cao Junli, Vice President of Xuzhou Medical University, and Professor Wang Xiu’e, Conference Chair, delivered opening speeches respectively. The conference was presided over by Professor Gao Can, Professor Li Chong, Professor Liu Yi and Professor Song Yuanjian. Eight renowned experts from home and abroad presented insightful academic findings covering multiple frontier research areas, including the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, genetic causes of male infertility, structural biological characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, the discovery of potential drug targets for obesity, and genetic research on type 1 neurofibromatosis, bringing an extraordinary academic feast to all participants.
The second half of the forum was dedicated to youth academic reports. Co-organized with the School of Life Sciences and the National Demonstration Center for Experimental Biology Education of Jiangsu Normal University, this session had Professor Li Zongyun serving as the leader of the evaluation committee, and was presided over by Professor Song Yuanjian and Associate Professor Zhu Zuobin, Director and Deputy Director of the Genetics Department of our School of Life Sciences. Zheng Peng, Deputy Secretary of the General Party Branch of the School of Life Sciences, delivered a speech for the session. A total of 11 graduate students from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Jiangsu Normal University and Xuzhou Medical University exchanged their latest research achievements in the field of genetics.
This forum showcased the cutting-edge academic progress in genetics at home and abroad, fostered a sound atmosphere for academic innovation, and promoted interdisciplinary integration. It effectively facilitated cooperation and exchanges among peer universities and provided a high-quality communication platform for researchers. The event has played a positive role in advancing the development of medical genetics, improving the overall level of genetic research, and boosting the implementation of the Healthy China Initiative.
