Houfu Leng, the first undergraduate student finished his Honors Project at Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Research Platform for Aptamer-based Translational Medicine and Drug Discovery (HKAP) was admitted to the University of Oxford as a DPhil candidate in September 2016. Under the supervision of Prof. Zhang, Houfu conducted the Therapeutic Silencing CKIP-1 in Osteoblasts for Reversing Established Aged Osteoporosis: Data from micro-CT analysis research project from which he has accomplished conference publication and won Excellent Thesis Award of 5th Sino-American Symposium on Clinical and Translational Medicine in June 2014.
HKAP provided constant resources to enrich every student’s research knowledge, moreover, Prof. Zhang’s amazing lecture greatly raised my interest in Immunology filed”, Houfu said. From Prof. Zhang’s lab, he gained a profound understanding about interactions of bone with the immune system in diseases and achieved stable improvement in translational orthopaedic research.
Translational medicine is an innovative discipline that involves the application of both life science and cutting-edge technology. Now at the University of Oxford, Houfu said his aspiration to become a specialist in translational research was initially enlightened by Prof. Zhang and other supervisors of the Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases. With the passion to understanding molecular pathways in diseases and hoping bench expertise will be extensively translated and applied to bedside, he’s now continuously strive diligently in research and believes his expertise can prevent diseases from pathogenesis by proactive means and can perfectly address the most pressing needs and concerns of the society in relation to disease.
Finally, Houfu expressed his gratitude for the guidance and encouragement provided by Prof. Zhang again and said he has learned a lot from Prof. Zhang’s serious attitude and innovative ideas in pursuing research, which no doubt is a life time treasure.
