School of Biomedical Science The Chinese University of Hong Kong eNewsletter

1. Why did you join the School of Biomedical Sciences? What are the advantages of doing research in our School when compared with other institutions?

The strong academic support provided by the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS) attracted and encouraged me to become an independent principle investigator engaging in the cutting-edge biomedical research and education for research postgraduate and undergraduate students in the field of biomedicine. Compared with other institutions, the advantages of doing research in our School are threefold: i) the five newly established Thematic Research Programs provide integrated multidisciplinary research platform with expertise from renowned scientists in several major areas; ii) the collaborative research platforms established between our School and the clinical departments in the University's teaching hospital (The Prince of Wales Hospital) provide an essential foundation for performing translational research; and iii) the established and growing collaborative academic links between our School and the local, mainland China and international institutions provide a unique pathway to promote biomedical research, education and academic exchanges.

2. Can you share with us your aspiration in your research?

I dedicate myself to the research field of stem cell and regenerative medicine. My laboratory employs transgenic mice as a model system for understanding the biology of stem cell microenvironment and its control on stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, and its potential application in regenerative medicine, particularly in tissue regeneration, musculoskeletal diseases and related tumors. I hope that the studies of cellular signaling pathway in the skeleton and stem cells will provide novel therapeutic strategies for human musculoskeletal diseases and tissue regeneration.

3. What do you envision yourself and the development of the School five years from now?

In the following five years, I envision that I would have further developed my academic career through securing more competitive grants from the Government or other related funding resources, producing high quality research output, being actively involved in teaching for postgraduate and undergraduate students, and contributing to the services of affiliated College and related scientific communities. For our School in the following five years, I believe we would further grow and develop as a major unit of excellence locally and internally renowned in biomedical sciences to promote cutting-edge and translational research through multi- and inter-disciplinary collaborations as well as quality graduate and undergraduate education.

Brief Biosketch of Prof. Chao Wan

Prof. Wan currently works as an Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences. He is also a member of the Stem Cell and Regeneration Program of the School. Before joining us, he was an Instructor of Orthopaedics in Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and an Instructor of Pathology in University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Prof. Wan obtained his Ph.D. from Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, and worked as a resident Orthopaedic Surgeon. He finished his postdoctoral training in Queen's University of Belfast, UK, and then in School of Medicine, UAB, USA. Prof. Wan focused his research in oxygen sensing pathway in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. He was a recipient of ASBMR Harold Frost Young Investigator Award, and is currently supported by RGC GRF and NSFC-RGC grants etc.