Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2001

New Vistas in Interdisciplinary Basic Research The Faculty o f Me d i c i ne collaborated w i t h the A c a d emy of M i l i t a ry Me d i c al Sciences to establish the Ep i t h e l i al Ce ll B i o l o g y Research Centre i n 1999. The ep i t he l i a l cell layer is an i mpo r t an t basic research area i n the life sciences. The centre's research covers reproductive biology ( f u n c t i o n al genomics), e n d o c r i n o l o g y, i mm u n o l o g y, a nd clinical oncology. It also p r o v i d es t r a i n i ng opportunities to ma i n l a nd scholars. A c c o r d i n g to director of the centre. Prof. Ch an Hsiao-chang, t r a i n i ng is d i v i d ed i n to p u re research a nd technical training. Th e f o rmer is targeted at scholars w h o ar e unable to continue their research on the ma i n l a nd due t o financial o r resource limitations. The latter aims at i mp r o v i ng the laboratory skills of those w h o are already skilled i n advanced technology. 'Very o f t e n laboratoriesonthemainlanddonot h a v e a d e q u a t e f a c i l i t i e s. T h i s f o r c e s researchers to focus on d e v e l o p i n g o n e k i n d o f technology a t a t i m e . This cenre, o n t h e other hand,hasa c o l l e c t i o n o f a d v a n c e d equopment, which makes broad interdisciplinary research possible,' says Prof. Chan. T h e c e n t r e a l so h o l d s regular seminars on n ew topics a nd provides opportunities fo r trainees to master the wo r k i n gs of sophisticated la b equipment. M a n y trainees h a ve t a k en u p i m p o r t a n t p o s t s i n t h e i r r e s p e c t i ve i n s t i t u t i o ns u p o n their r e t u rn to the ma i n l a n d. Prof. Chan Hsiao-chang is visiting professor to seven universities and research organizations on the mainland. She lectures, supervises graduate students, serves on examination boards, and helps to introduce international research standards and new concepts into the mainland. Trainees from Zhengzhou University working on an animal model Medical Publishing Activities Prof. Ng Ho- keung of the Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology invites local and overseas pathologists to submit papers on pathological issues, which are then translated into Chinese by graduates of the Pathology Training for Mainland China Programme and published in Annals of Contemporary Diagnostic Pathology. The publication is distributed free of charge to important pathology centres in China. The Chinese Speaking Orthopaedic Society cooperates with international organizations to translate the latest information in the field into Chinese and publish it in Orthopaedics Basic Science — an important manual for clinical personnel in orthopaedics. This enables mainland orthopaedists to have greater access to the latest developments in orthopaedics. The CUHK Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology has provided much translation and publication support to the society in such undertakings. 15