Six of our School members has been awarded the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grants 2011, which grossed a total of RMB 3.01 million (approximately HK dollar 3.67 million). These successful proposals have accounted for 24% out of the 25 CUHK proposals accepted by NSFC. These investigators are:

• Prof. CHEN Yangchao: "多梳蛋白EZH2在胰腺癌中沉默miR-34a的分子機制及其在腫瘤發生中的作用"
  
  
• Prof. Christopher H.K. CHENG: "斑馬魚GPR54基因在生殖中的功能研究"
  
  
• Prof. FENG Bo: "人類基因組人工重編程高效誘導因數篩查及其分子調控機理研究"
  
  
• Prof. LI Gang: "用胸腺嘧啶激酶基因修飾的間充質幹細胞治療腫瘤的研究"
  
  
• Prof. WAN Chao: "胰島素/胰島素信受體信號調控骨發育和損傷性糖尿病骨折癒合過程中軟骨生成的細胞與分子學機理研究"
  
  
• Prof. YAO Xiaoqiang: "離子通道TRPM2在血管壁內膜增生中的作用"

Meanwhile, Prof. WAN Chao was also awarded the NSFC (Key Program) Grant for his joint project with the Shenzhen University School of Medicine entitled "骨關節退行性疾病組織特異性幹細胞功能活性改變及其表觀遺傳學調控", which carried an approved amount of RMB 2.6 million (approximately HK dollar 3.17 million). The Key Program is one of the important types of grants offered by the NSFC. It aims to support basic scientific investigators to carry out systematic, in-depth and innovative study in research projects that have been identified with better research foundation and direction, thus facilitating research that may lead to breakthrough in certain key scientific areas or frontiers.

We would like to extend again our heartiest congratulations to these awardees! The awards not only exemplified the outcome of their commitment and continued hard-work, but also marked a remarkable start of our concerted efforts in supporting the University's research endeavours in the CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute (SZRI).