Imperial-Tsinghua workshop tackles healthcare challenges

Research group leaders from Tsinghua University in China and Imperial came together to identify technologies to tackle current healthcare challenges

Research group leaders from Tsinghua University in China and their College counterparts came together at Imperial at the end of January to identify tools and technologies to tackle current healthcare challenges.

The Imperial-Tsinghua Translational Molecular Research Workshop ran for three days from 21–24 January during which 30 researchers – 15 from each university – shared aspects of their work with one another. “This multidisciplinary workshop is an example of our commitment to forging strong and effective scientific links with the wider world in general and with Tsinghua University in particular,” said workshop attendee Dr Wing-Chau Tung (Chemistry), Project Manager at the Institute of Chemical Biology.

Over the course of the workshop the researchers identified current healthcare challenges in the UK and China and potential technological solutions with which to tackle them, based on research at their respective universities. They also discussed potential collaborations that might accelerate the translation process.

“By bringing together the research portfolios of both institutions in this way, we multiply the opportunities for further development of our world class research,” added Dr Tung.

The workshop was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’s international research collaborations funding scheme, and a return visit to Tsinghua University for the Imperial academics is currently being organised.