On March 17, 2014, Mr. YIN Li, the Vice Minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) and Vice Minister of the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) visited the Tsinghua School of Medicine and the IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University. Professor LU Bai, Dean of Tsinghua School of Medicine, and Professor HONG Bo, Associate Director of IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua, introduced the short history of the founding of the institute and some background information regarding the donors, the current progress of work and the institute’s devotion to long term strategic goals.

YIN Li Visits Tsinghua IDG/McGovern Brain Institute

YIN Li visited two laboratories in the institute and had many in depth and interesting conversations with scientists on the research progress of the researchers. Professor Yichang Jia shared some insight about his study in the disease mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders. Professor GUAN Jisong reported some recent findings in specific memory traces in the mammalian brain through in vivo imaging of immediate early gene expression.

YIN Li visits Professor JIA Yichang’s Lab

YIN Li visits Professor GUAN Jisong’s Lab

During YIN Li’s conversation with researchers, YIN Li indicated that neuroscience is one of the most important research fields the government intends to develop in China. YIN Li encouraged the scientists to stay focused and wished to see more breakthroughs from Tsinghua’s McGovern Brain Institute.