The Institute of Neuroscience, known as the Institute of Neuroscience at Suzhou Medical College formerly, was reestablished in July 2009. Now it becomes an independent scientific research facility of Soochow University.
The Institute is currently recognized as the home of Jiangsu Province’s Outstanding Medical Academic Leader and Innovation Team, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Translational Research and Therapy for Neuro-Psycho-Diseases, as well as Suzhou Key Laboratory of Neurological and Mental Disorders Research, and Suzhou Key Laboratory of Basic Research and Clinical Treatment of Pain.
The Institute has about 3,300 square meters of room space. Here, it has established research platforms for molecular biology, electric physiology, cell imaging, animal behavior, and transgenic techniques. The Institution recruits full-time principal investigators (PIs) worldwide and research staffs from the Medical Division and Affiliated-Hospitals of Soochow University.
Through translational studies from bench to bedside, the Institute is committed to focusing on the following research areas: Cerebrovascular Diseases, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Learning & Memory Disorders, and Molecular Mechanisms of Pain. The Institute particularly encourages collaborations between basic researchers and clinical investigators.
To date, there are 9 independent research groups and 30 full-time researchers present in the Institute. The PIs are currently enrolled in the “China’s Thousand Talents Program for Young Outstanding Scientists” (1), Jiangsu Province’s “HIT Talent Plan” (5), Jiangsu Province’s “333” Project (1, level two), and Jiangsu Province’s “Six Talent Peaks’ Project” (4). The Institute has one Distinguished Professor of Jiangsu Province, four Distinguished Professors of Soochow University, and one “Dongwu Scholar” of Soochow University.
The current support of the Institute comes from over 60 different grants awarded by the National Basic Research Program (“973” Program), the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and others, with total funds more than RMB 98 million.
The Institute has published over 127 papers in SCI journals in recent three years, including 10 papers in SCI Division I journals and 76 papers in SCI Division II journals. The Institute already successfully hosted the 8th symposium for the worldwide Chinese neuroscientists and 6th Asia pain symposium, and hosts the Dongwu Neurology Forum annually and. The Institute is now becoming a well-known Neuroscience Institute in China.
By featuring translational medical research, integrating basic research and clinical diagnosis/treatment of neurological diseases, and high-level research training, the Institute aims to become a leading neuroscience research center both domestically and internationally.