University of Rochester China Institutes (URCI)

In order to strengthen cooperative education, professional training and research to improve human health, the University of Rochester Medical Center and several medical universities in China have formalized a relationship to achieve these goals. Drs. Edward Schwarz, Regis O’Keefe and Chao Xie initiated this program in 2009, and the first University of Rochester Chinese Institute (URCI) was officially established in Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou Provence in China in 2012. This bi-institutional agreement established the Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center (JORC – ZMU&URMC). Since then, the URCI has provided a comprehensive educational mentorship to many Physician-Scientist training in the fields of musculoskeletal research and translational medicine. In 2013, the URMC delegation led by Drs. Edward Schwarz, Regis O’Keefe, Stephen Kates and Chao Xie visited the Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, and Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital in Hangzhou, to sign agreements with two more URCIs, named as JORC – SHTMM&URMC and JORC – ZPPH&URMC respectively.

Collaborative exchanges and co-funding of the Education, Research and Visiting Scholar Programs have resulted in successfully mentoring of outstanding graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and residents from top Chinese medical universities. Many of these trainees received China Scholarship Council fellowship awards, and research grants from National Nature Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Additionally, the URCIs are participating in world-wide collaborations, such as the AO CPP Bone Infection Program, which is an international consortia grant led by URMC-CMSR.

Chair: Edward Schwarz, PhD
Vice Chair: Chao Xie, MD

Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zunyi Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center (JORC – ZMU&URMC)

Dr. Edward Schwarz, Burton Professor of Orthopaedics and Director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Research at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Dr. Jingshan Shi, President of Zunyi Medical University (ZMU), established the 1st URCI (JORC – ZMU&URMC) on August 29, 2012 (upper left). Dr. Chao Xie, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Vice Chair for Biomedical Research & Training in China at URMC, also attended this signing ceremony and presented URMC’s gift to Dr. Tian Yu, Vice President of ZMU (upper right). In a follow up visit to ZMU in 2013, Drs. Edward Schwarz, Regis O’Keefe, Stephen Kates and Chao Xie were named Visiting Professors of the Graduate Student Program (bottom left). JORC – ZMU&URMC was initiated into the AO CPP bone infection program in a kickoff meeting in 2014 (bottom right).

Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University & University of Rochester Medical Center (JORC – SHTMMU&URMC)

Drs. Edward Schwarz and Regis O’Keefe represented URMC in a signing ceremony with Dr. Jianzhong Xu, Chair of Department of Orthopaedics and Dr. Jinbo Li, President of Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University in Chongqing on August 12, 2013 (left). During the meeting Drs. Edward Schwarz, Regis O’Keefe, Stephen Kates and Chao Xie were named as Visiting Professor for exchange student and resident program and the JORC – SHTMMU&URMC were then announced (right).

Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital & University of Rochester Medical Center (JORC-ZPPH&URMC)

Dr. Regis O’Keefe represented URMC in a signing ceremony with Dr. Dongsheng Huang, the President of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital in Hangzhou on August 15, 2013 (left). The core members of JORC-ZPPH&URMC with Dr. Qing Bi (2nd left), Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics, and his team took a picture with the URMC delegation (right).

Future Joint Orthopaedic Research Center of Peking University Third Hospital & University of Rochester Medical Center (JORC-PUTH&URMC)

Dr. Edward Schwarz presented the URMC gift to Dr. Xiaoguang Liu, Vice President of Peking University Third Hospital (left) during the AO CPP meeting, which included Dr. Minggang Zhao, Vice Director of Department of Medical Administration, Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China (4th left) and Dr. Zhonjun Liu, Chairman of Orthopaedics, Peking University Third Hospital (6th left), on September 3, 2012 (right). Plans are underway to make JORC-PUTH&URMC the 4th URCI.

Current URCI Members Training in the CMSR

Yu Chen, MD
Postdoctoral Fellow: Wear debris osteolysis research
2013-2015
Home Institute: Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital

Wei Zhou, MD
Postdoctoral Fellow: Spine repair research
2015-2016
Home Institute: Nanjing Medical University First Hospital

Jun Zhang, MD, MS
Postdoctoral Fellow: Post-traumatic osteoarthritis research
2015-2017
Home Institute: Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital

Jian Wu, MD, MS
Visiting Associate Professor: Total joint replacement and orthopaedic trauma surgery fellowship
2015
Home Institute: Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital

Current URCI Graduate Student Trainees

Youliang Ren, MD
MS Candidate 2013-2016
JORC-ZUM&URMC
Zunyi Medical University

Zhengdao Li, MD
MS Candidate 2014-2017
JORC-ZUM&URMC
Zunyi Medical University

Wenbin He, MD
MS Candidate 2015-2018
JORC-ZUM&URMC
Zunyi Medical University

URCI Alumni

Yongxin Ren, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2011
Currently: Associate Professor
Nanjing Medical University First Hospital

Yuming Ma, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2011
Currently: Professor
Nanjing Medical University First Hospital

Qun Cheng, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2012-2013
Currently: Professor
Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University

Hai Liu, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
2012-2013
Currently: Associate Professor
Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University

Zhao Xie, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
2013-2014
Currently: Professor
Southwestern Hospital of Third Military Medical University

Qingqing Li, MD
Postdoctoral Fellow
2013-2014
Currently: PhD Candidate (2016)
Nanjing Medical University First Hospital