Appointment Ceremony of Chair Professor Frank Kirchhoff and Academic Exchange
On the afternoon of January 22, 2025, the appointment ceremony of Chair Professor Frank Kirchhoff was held in the conference room of the Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University. Frank Kirchhoff, Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Professor at Saarland University in Germany, Chun-Feng Liu, Director of the Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Yao-Bo Liu, Deputy Director of the Institute, as well as professors including Cong Cao, Quan-Hong Ma, Jian Cheng, Hong-Rui Meng, Qi-Fei Cong, Jing Zhao, Xiu-Min Chen and Yi-Zheng Yao from the institute attended the ceremony. The meeting was presided over by Professor Yao-Bo Liu.
1. Opening Remarks and Appointment Ceremony
First of all, Professor Liu Yaobo extended a warm welcome and sincere gratitude to Professor Frank Kirchhoff for his visit, and expressed his appreciation to all the experts and scholars present at the ceremony despite their busy schedules. He pointed out that as a world-renowned neuroscientist, Professor Frank Kirchhoff has made outstanding achievements in the research on gender differences in brain function and disease mechanisms. The official inauguration of Center for Gender-specific Biology and Medicine @Soochow University on September 28, 2024, is of great significance for promoting the development of neuroscience research. Professor Liu emphasized that Professor Frank Kirchhoff’s appointment as a chair professor of our university not only recognizes the scientific research strength of the institute, but also provides strong support for the future development of Soochow University.
Subsequently, amid warm applause from all attendees, Professor Chun-Feng Liu formally presented the chair professor appointment certificate to Professor Frank Kirchhoff on behalf of the institute. This marked a solid step forward in the cooperation between our institute and top international academic research institutions.
After the certificate awarding ceremony, the two sides took friendly group photos to record this memorable and historic moment.
2. Academic Lecture and Exchange
Following the awarding ceremony, Professor Frank Kirchhoff delivered an in-depth and wonderful academic sharing for the teachers and students present, with the theme of “Looking forward to new discoveries - starting a network of Centers for Gender Specific Biology and Medicine”.
Professor Kirchhoff first introduced the general research progress of the Department of Molecular Physiology, Saarland University School of Medicine in the field of neuroscience, especially the latest research achievements in brain function and disease mechanisms. He elaborated on the importance of gender-specific biological and medical research, and highlighted the great potential of this field in advancing precision medicine. Afterwards, he elaborated on his vision for establishing a global network of research centers, aiming to promote interdisciplinary cooperation and accelerate the clinical translation of scientific discoveries.
In the final part of his report, Professor Frank Kirchhoff shared his experiences and profound insights from his previous visit to Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He also mentioned that following the establishment of the Center for Gender-specific Biology and Medicine @Soochow University, a branch center has been set up in Nanjing. He stated that the establishment of these gender research centers will serve as an important platform for advancing research on gender differences, help reveal the impact of gender disparities on brain function and disease mechanisms, and provide a scientific basis for formulating more precise and effective treatment strategies.
At the end of the lecture, Professor Frank Kirchhoff thanked all the teachers and students for their enthusiastic participation and in-depth discussions, and expressed his expectation for more in-depth and extensive cooperative research with our institute in the field of neuroscience in the future.
3. Academic Report Sharing and Discussion
Firstly, Professor Cheng Jian delivered an in-depth academic report titled “Lysosomal acid lipase drives white matter repair by reprograming a white matter injury-associated microglial population into a reparative state”. Professor Cheng pointed out that lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) plays a key role in regulating the transformation of white matter injury-related microglia into a reparative state. Based on detailed experimental data, he demonstrated how LAL acts on microglia to promote white matter repair. This finding not only reveals a new function of LAL in nerve regeneration, but also provides novel strategies and ideas for the treatment of white matter injuries.
Subsequently, Professor Jing Zhao presented a report entitled "APOE and gender in AD". She focused on the interactive effects of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype and gender on Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Through extensive clinical data analysis, she revealed the differential manifestations of APOE genotypes in AD patients of different genders, as well as how these differences affect the progression rate and pathological characteristics of the disease. Her report deepened the understanding of gender differences in AD and laid a theoretical foundation for the application of precision medicine in AD treatment.
Right after that, Professor Quan-Hong Ma shared her research in a report titled “Sex-Differentiated White Matter-Neuronal Excitatory Networks in the Early Diagnosis and Pathologesis of Alzheimer's Disease”. She elaborated on the influence of gender differences on white matter-neuronal excitatory networks in the early diagnosis and pathogenesis of AD. By analyzing a large number of basic experimental data, she uncovered the differences in brain structure and function among AD patients of different genders, providing crucial new clues for the early identification and personalized treatment of AD.
Then, Professor Qi-Fei Cong gave a report themed "Gender differences in depression". He explored gender differences in depression from multiple dimensions including biology, psychology and sociology. He shared the latest research findings on how sex hormones, neurotransmitter systems and social environments jointly regulate the pathogenesis of depression. His research deepens the cognition of gender disparities in depression and offers a scientific basis for developing more effective gender-specific treatment regimens.
At the end of the academic sharing session, Professor Yi-Zheng Yao delivered a wonderful report titled "Biomarker discovery and targeted therapy for breast cancer and brain metastasis". He focused on the discovery of biomarkers and targeted therapy for breast cancer brain metastasis. By introducing the latest high-throughput sequencing technology, proteomic analysis and clinical trial data, he revealed the key molecular mechanisms of breast cancer brain metastasis and discussed targeted therapeutic strategies based on these mechanisms. His report brings new prospects as well as challenges for the treatment of patients with breast cancer brain metastasis.
The seminar featured rich and diverse content covering multiple cutting-edge fields of neuroscience and gender medicine, showcasing the latest research achievements and future prospects of scholars at home and abroad in this discipline. In-depth exchanges and discussions not only broadened the academic horizons of all participants, but also facilitated opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation. The successful holding of the event has injected new vitality and impetus into the development of neuroscience and gender medicine. After the academic reports, participating professors also conducted in-depth discussions centered on gender research themes.
The academic exchange activity have provided valuable academic resources and learning opportunities for teachers and students of our institute, and laid a solid foundation for further cooperation between our institute and top international academic research institutions. We look forward to Professor Frank Kirchhoff continuing to contribute his wisdom and strength to the development of neuroscience research at Soochow University in the future.
Finally, Professor Liu Yaobo announced the successful conclusion of the meeting, and all participating professors took a group photo together.
