Assistant Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences

Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Assistant Professor (by courtesy), Orthopaedics & Traumatology

Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Office: (852) 3943 5153
Email: yangzjiang21@cuhk.edu.hk
Address: Room 421A, 4/F, Lo Kwee-Seong Integrated Biomedical Science Building, Area 39, CUHK
ORCID: 0000-0002-7475-3182
SBS Website: https://www2.sbs.cuhk.edu.hk/en-gb/people/academic-staff/prof-jiang-yangzi
Website: http://jianglabrm.com/

Publons: https://publons.com/researcher/1854631/yangzi-jiang/

Prof. Jiang, Yangzi (姜洋子) received Bachelor (2007, Biology) and PhD (2012, Sports Medicine) in Zhejiang University (ZJU), China, and was a postdoctoral associate (2012-18) at University of Pittsburgh, USA. Prof. Jiang joined CUHK in 2018 as Research Assistant Professor at institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM), School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS), and Assistant Professor (by courtesy) at Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology (ORT). 

Contribution to the Field

Prof. Jiang has extensive multi-discipline expertise in basic scientific research, medical translational research and education in stem cells and regenerative medicine, particularly in bone and cartilage regeneration. Prof. Jiang has more than 60 research outputs, serve as reviewer for more than 20 journals and 3 international funding agencies. She has contributed to both textbooks and industrial guidelines to the field of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, and her mentored students had been awarded with scholarships, research grants and honors from different universities, states and countries (China, Australia, and United States).

Prof. Jiang’s research focused on creating tissue regeneration strategies of musculoskeletal system. Her publications cover the topics of stem cells, tissue engineering, cell transplantation, biomaterials, pathology of osteoarthritis, and translational medicine. A major scientific achievements and social impact of Prof. Jiang’s research work include: (i) revealed the origin, characterization and functions of tissue specific stem/progenitor cells from human adult articular cartilage, and successfully used these cells to repair large-size of osteochondral defects (6-13 cm2, ave. 8.5 cm2) in patients (Jiang et.al, Stem Cells Transl Med, 2016); (ii) involved in paving a new regulatory pathway for autologous cell-based Tissue Engineering Techniques enter clinical practice as Class III Therapeutics in mainland China, and many patients have been benefited from this pioneer work (…Jiang* and Ouyang*, J Ortho Transl, 2014); (iii) put forward and developed a new theory about disease activated tissue specific stem/progenitor cells in osteoarthritis (Jiang and Tuan, Nat Rev Rheum, 2015), and revealed the potential cellular and molecular targets and related signaling pathways (Jiang et.al Arthritis Res Therapy, 2015; Jiang* et.al, FASEB J, 2019, …Jiang*, Front. Cell Dev. Biol).

In 2019, Prof. Jiang led the first team in Hong Kong to receive national-level, cross-border research funding under the “Young Scientist Scheme” of National Key Research and Development (R&D) Program from Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China (PI).  [News is covered here, and here.]

Research Interests and Expertise

1. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
2. Cartilage and bone repair and regeneration
3. Adult tissue specific stem/progenitor cells
4. Regulating stem cells for cell-based therapy
5. Regulators of stem cell aging
6. Mechanism of osteoarthritis and other degenerative and inflammatory diseases
7. Bioproducts for cell-based therapy
8. From bench to bedside and to the bench – the pathway of translational medicine

Expertise key words:  Osteoarthritis, Tissue Specific Stem Cells; Cartilage; Tissue Engineering; Cell-Based Therapy and Translational Medicine.

Granted invention patents: 2

Academic Service

Current Student and Staff Supervision: Experienced in mentoring students in the field of regenerative medicine and orthopaedic research. Mentored students had been awarded with scholarships, research grants and honours from different universities, research communities, states and countries (e.g. China, Australia, and United States). Since 2018: Medical Students & Doctors & PhD students – 5; Postdoc-1; Staff-3; Ms and Ug Students- many

Awards and Honours

1. National Key Research and Development (R&D) Program, Young Scientist Scheme, awarded by Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China, PRC (2019) 國家重點研發計劃 “幹細胞與轉化醫學”重點專項，首席青年科學家
2. 2^nd Prize, COA Orthopaedics Youth Research Award (2018), Chinese Medical Association, Chinese Orthopaedic Association, The 13^th Annual Congress of Chinese Orthopaedic Association, China. 中華醫學會骨科學分會 骨科基礎青年研究獎
3. 1^st Prize, 10^th “Chunhui Cup” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (2015) for Oversea Chinese Scholars, North America Division (New York Consular District), Ministry of Education & Ministry of Science and Technology of China
4. 4^th Award Winner, RFBI Competition (2015), innovation Institute, University of Pittsburgh, PA, United States
5. 1^st Prize, Science and Technology Progress Award, Ministry of Education, China (2013). 中華人民共和國教育部 科技進步一等獎 (第3完成人，證書編號：2012-173)
6. Endeavour Research Fellowship, the Merit-based Endeavour Award, Ministry of Education, Australia, 2012