Wake Forest Baptist Collaborates with Shanghai Changhai Hospital

November 30, 2010

   Hospitals sign memorandum for student and faculty exchange and collaboration

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – November 30, 2010 – Officials from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Shanghai Changhai Hospital, an affiliate of the Second Military Medical University, in Shanghai, China, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for student and faculty exchange and collaboration in broad research and clinical initiatives.

William Applegate, M.D., dean of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Yinghou Sun, M.D., president of Changhai Hospital, signed the official agreement at a formal signing ceremony on Nov. 13.

The group from the School of Medicine also included Senior Associate Dean Steve Block, M.D., associate professor of Anesthesiology, Chuck Tong, M.D., professor of Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research, Jianfeng Xu, M.D., associate professor of Surgical Sciences/Plastic Surgery, Joseph Molnar, M.D. and assistant dean for International Studies Bret Nicks, M.D.

In addition to the exchange program, Applegate and Sun announced that both institutions will set aside funds for joint faculty competitive pilot projects. Because Changhai Hospital is opening a new trauma center, faculty from Changhai Hospital will visit Wake Forest Baptist’s trauma center in the next few months and an international symposium on trauma will be held in Shanghai next year. This effort is being led by Tong, Molnar and Nicks. Also, Xu is conducting a large genomic cohort study of Chinese men with prostate cancer.

Other Chinese officials who spoke at the ceremony included Yang Xia, general secretary of Changhai Hospital and Dr. Zhenghua Liu, president of the Second Military Medical University. The moderator of signing ceremony was Dr. Jianwei Chen, vice president and director of education and research of Shanghai Changhai Hospital. The signing ceremony has been reported on the Changhai hospital website at http://www.chhospital.com.cn/.

Media Relations

Paula Faria: pfaria@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-1279