[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Jiang_Shucui.jpg” caption=”Shucui Jiang holds the award she received at the Third China Overseas Personnel Exchange and Economic Trade Cooperation Fair. Of the 100 presentations at the event, Jiang’s was one of 17 to receive an award, and one of three University-based projects.”]Shucui Jiang, 40, a research fellow in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, has just returned from China where she was invited to present her work at the Third China Overseas Personnel Exchange and Economic Trade Cooperation Fair in Jinang, Shandong.

Jiang's presentation was one of only three University-based projects singled out for agreements for future collaborations. Her research, in the regeneration of functional nerve fibers in injured spinal cords, is now at a stage at which it may be translated into clinical trials. The intention is to provide the resources to work jointly towards this goal.

The Chinese government is encouraging collaboration with ex-patriot scientists and possible industrial development of their work abroad. Only 100 of the world's top Chinese-born scientists were invited to the event.

Jiang has demonstrated a method that provides a way of regenerating functional nerve fibres in injured spinal cord and a way of using a naturally occurring compound and its derivatives to promote regeneration of the supporting cells in the spinal cord long after spinal cord injury has occurred.

She has shown that enteric glia (supporting cells from the intestine) promote functional regeneration of nerves when transplanted into injured spinal cord and that, long after spinal cord injury, the natural substance, guanosine, can stimulate the replacement of myelin, the insulation around damaged nerve fibres and improve function.

“It is good to see this work gain international recognition. Being chosen as one of the top three from all branches of science was a tremendous honour - it was almost a dream,” said Jiang. “I look forward to extending our collaborations with China. This affords a tremendous opportunity.”

Born in China, Jiang entered Qingdao Medical University a few months before her sixteenth birthday. She obtained her medical degree, winning the best outstanding student award. She obtained a master's degree in biophysics in Shanghai Medical University, before returning to Qingdao where she qualified as a pathologist. From there she went to Germany to the Federal Institute for Neurobiology in Magdeburg, where she obtained her PhD, also with honours. She has 23 peer-reviewed published papers.

Jiang has developed an international reputation for her work on spinal cord injury in collaboration with Michel Rathbone, since coming to Canada and joining his research team in 1997.

“Jiang's research is unique,” said Rathbone. “If it translates into equivalent gains in humans, it would provide potential important improvement of function in spinal cord injured patients, as well as in others who have suffered damage to the supporting cells of the nerves in the spinal cord, such as those with multiple sclerosis. Her work is also close to translation 'from bench to bedside testing'.”

Jiang holds a Brian Keown Research Fellowship at McMaster University. She has been offered several professorial positions in China and received several offers from major North American universities as a result of her work. Jiang enjoys the excellent scientific and academic environment at McMaster and the multicultural society in Canada.

Over the two weeks she was in China to present her work Jiang took the opportunity to visit with friends and family. She returned to Canada on Nov. 20.