MWC investigators attend Guangzhou iPSC workshop
30 October 2018
Three Maurice Wilkins Centre investigators recently travelled to China to attend an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) workshop run by our partners at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH).
Affiliate Investigators Ms Evie Templeton from Christchurch Heart Institute, University of Otago, Mr Denis Nyaga from Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, and Mr Jingwei Wei from Ruakura Research Centre, AgResearch, attended the 4-day programme held at GIBH HQ in late September.
The GIBH, with which we have a long-standing relationship, is China’s top iPSC centre and is led by Professor Duanqing Pei, widely regarded to be China’s leading authority on stem cells.
L-r: Mr Denis Nyaga (Liggins Institute, University of Auckland), Ms Evie Templeton (Christchurch Heart Institute, University of Otago); Mr Jingwei Wei (Ruakura Research Centre, AgResearch).
All the attendees said the workshop was a great experience and very worthwhile and their feedback will be useful when considering similar future opportunities.
“Observing the laboratory techniques and getting to try my hand at a few of them made iPSC research seem more accessible and it has encouraged me to pursue research in this area,” said Evie. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to visit Guangzhou, experience the culture and gain an insight into what research-life is like at GIBH.”
Denis agreed, saying that the hands-on training sessions in the lab gave him an opportunity to gain valuable practical experience in induced pluripotent stem cells (and models). “I am confident that this was an excellent opportunity to expand my knowledge on the field and I am hopeful that I will translate this to my research project. I would like to thank MWC for the wonderful opportunity, the exposure, and the all-round exciting China experience.”
Jingwei was also very positive about his experience. “[Projects I am involved in here in New Zealand] would benefit from the expertise available at GIBH as outlined in the course programme,” said Jingwei. “Apart from the training opportunity, I can also update my expertise in this area and gain access to the latest iPSC-related methodologies, as well as fill in gaps in my current knowledge.”