From May 13 to 15, dozens of Chinese and German experts in the field of pathology gathered at Zhejiang University and attended the first meeting of the project “Molecular mechanisms of cancer development” initiated by the University of Würzburg. Experts shared their insights into and progresses in research on topics covering pathology of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues, gastrointestinal and liver cancer, lung cancer, molecular diagnosis, individualized treatment and so on.
At the end of last year, sponsored by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and Chinesisch-Deutschen Zentrum für Wissenschaftsförderung (CDZ), Pathology Institute of the University of Würzburg and Department of Pathology of Zhejiang University contacted a dozen of top research institutes in the field of pathology in Germany and China and established the joint research center of molecular mechanism of cancer development. Both the Chinese and German sides will share the latest progresses and resources in the field to promote the academic exchanges and development of tumor pathology.
Professor Lai Maode, Vice President of Zhejiang University and at the same time Chinese director of the project fore mentioned, commented that as the birthplace of pathology and modern medicine, Germany set a role model in combining classic and modern medical approaches. He expressed the hope that the substantive cooperation between the two countries can propel the development of pathology in China. He took pathology specimen collection as an example. Germany is currently building online European pathology specimen database; there’re institutions in China doing the same job. Professor Lai hoped that the database under construction in China can conform to the same standard and join the system in Germany.
The meeting attracted distinguished scholars in the field. German director of the project Professor H. K. Mueler-Hermelink, a world famous expert on the diagnosis of thymoma and malignant lymphoma cancer, made a lecture on the latest development in pathology of lymphoid hematopoietic cancer. Professor Manfred Dietel , Chairman of German Society of Pathology, and Professor Peter Schirmacher from the University of Heidelberg also presented special reports at the meeting.
The project also attaches great importance to the nurture of young talents. It will set up advanced training courses and host international conferences to involve graduate students in relevant research.