Peking University, Jan. 11, 2012: The research group, led by Professor Jiang Yuwu, Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital, won the 7th “Soong Ching Ling Pediatrics Award”.

Hosted by China Soong Ching Ling foundation and supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of health, Soong Ching Ling Pediatrics Award awarding ceremony and 2012 Soong Ching Ling pediatrics forums unveiled in Taizhou, Jiangsu province on December 6. Clinical and molecular genetics study on genetic brain development disorders led by Professor Jiang Yuwu, director of Pediatrics, won the 2012 Soong Ching Ling Pediatrics Award.

Established in 2005, Song Ching Ling Pediatrics Award is one of the most influential and authoritative award in Chinese pediatrics field aiming at promoting the scientific research in pediatrics, fostering and encouraging the creativity and spirit in preclinical medicine, clinical and preventive medicine among young and mid-aged medical researchers.

The award is a permanent one founded by China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and supported by Ministry of Health, The award is issued once a year and there are 10 medical institutions receiving it this year. Other than professor Jiang’s team, two research groups led by Professor Du Junbao and Professor Qin Jiong in the Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital had won the award, in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

Led by Professor Jiang Yuwu, the clinical and molecular genetics study on genetic brain development disorders is a series of studies on from clinical to genetic diagnoses, analysis for genotype-phenotype relation and pathogenic mechanism of genetic brain development diseases.

Three neuro-genetic diseases found worldwide recently were first diagnosed and reported in Chinese patients by Jiang’s research group. The genetic diagnosis methods for 9 neuro-genetic diseases were also developed by them. In addition, Jiang’s group performed prenatal diagnosis for 26 fetuses from the families with probands successfully and elucidated the features of gene mutations spectrum about those neuro-genetic diseases in Chinese patients preliminarily.

Furthermore, they first carried out the pathogenic mechanism study about vanishing white matter disease (VWM), megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) and Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) in China. They took the lead in conducting the large-scale study on submicroscopic subtelomeric copy number variations in Chinese patients with mental retardation/developmental delay (MR/DD) and proved for the first time that 5.5% of clinically unexplained MR/DD in Chinese children came from subtelomeric rearrangements.

Jiang’s research group utilized the established molecular diagnosis platform to provide the support of accurate diagnosis for their peer fellows of other hospitals/institutes and to provide accurate genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for families across the country, which has helped alleviate the burdens from patient’s families and society emotionally and financially.

The award is the acknowledgement of the academic importance of their research, the potential applications and social benefits.

Professor Jiang also attended Soong Ching Ling pediatrics forums entitled “the New Development of Pediatrics”, which provided a platform for the pediatricians to communicate and share the information in the field effectively. The whole nation will benefit from the development of pediatrics.

Reported by: Wang Jingmin

Edited by: Zhang Jiang