Registration is now open for the Sixth Annual Symposium of the Joint Institute (JI) for Translational and Clinical Research, set to take place in Ann Arbor Oct. 12-14, 2016. This marks the third time that the University of Michigan Health Systems has hosted the event, which rotates between the U-M campus and JI partner Peking University Health Science Center (PUHSC), in Beijing.
Following an invitation-only reception on Oct. 12, guests are welcome to attend any or all of the programs scheduled on Oct. 13 and 14, especially medical school faculty and scholars with an interest in projects in China. Delivering keynote presentations will be PUHSC President Dr. Qi-Min Zhan and UMHS Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Dr. Marschall Runge. The program will also include panel discussions, poster presentations, JI project updates and more.
For the first time ever, U-M faculty members beyond the medical school are invited to participate in the poster session of this year’s Symposium (i.e., Public Health, Pharmacy, Biomedical Engineering).
“The Symposium is an opportunity to celebrate work that is already being done, but also a chance for U-M scholars and researchers to meet new collaborators and start new projects,” said Global REACH Director of China Programs Dr. Amy Huang, M.D., MHSA. “You cannot overestimate the value of face-to-face meetings. Sometimes, a simple conversation can spark an idea and lay the groundwork for important research.”
There are 25 ongoing joint-research projects funded by the JI focusing primarily on four major areas: cardiovascular, lung, liver, and kidney diseases. Examples include a study exploring potential genetic contributors to cardiovascular disease; how and to what extent air pollution impacts asthma sufferers differently; and a chronic kidney disease project that uses population-based databases in both China and U.S. to compare risk factors between the two countries. Learn more about the JI partnership at puuma.org.