Top European Neuroscientist Joins Chinese University
Recently, Hangzhou Normal University announced that Steven Laureys, President of the International Society for Research on the Science of Consciousness and a member of the European Academy of Sciences, has joined the university full-time this January as a professor at the School of Basic Medicine.
This 56-year-old Belgian scientist is a world-renowned neuroscientist. Before moving to China, he worked in Europe for decades and had a brief stint in North America. According to a November 3 report by the Hong Kong English media South China Morning Post, Laureys is a pioneer in consciousness research and is considered one of the first scientists to use brain imaging technology to study consciousness and the potential consciousness of unconscious patients.
According to the information, Laureys was born in Leuven, Belgium in 1968. He obtained a bachelor's degree in medicine from the Free University of Brussels, a master's degree in cell and molecular biology, and a doctorate in biomedical science from the University of Liège. He has co-authored more than 500 papers and has received awards such as the highest scientific award in Belgium, the Francqui Prize, the European Medical Award, and the Tom Slick Award for Consciousness Research in the United States.
The report states that Laureys' research uses advanced brain imaging and electrophysiological techniques to explore how to maintain and restore consciousness, and his findings have made important contributions to doctors treating coma patients. Laureys has received funding from institutions such as the European Commission, the Belgian National Research Fund, the Canadian government, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and holds titles such as member of the European Academy of Sciences.
On October 24, Laureys attended the opening ceremony of the Zhejiang-Belgium Consciousness Disorders Joint Laboratory held by Hangzhou Normal University and presented the latest research on using brain-computer interfaces for assessing consciousness disorders at the event.
In a statement, Hangzhou Normal University said that Laureys has joined the university full-time this year, which marks a new choice in his personal academic career and is a vivid practice of the university's deep implementation of the talent-strong school strategy, focusing on building a high-level faculty, and promoting the integration of education, science and technology, and talent development.
Tang Ruikang, vice president of Hangzhou Normal University, stated at the opening ceremony that the joint laboratory will focus on the precise diagnosis and intervention research of patients with consciousness disorders, exploring the working mechanisms of the brain. He added that the laboratory aims to bridge the research chain from the molecular level to the behavioral level, and through an open international network, to bridge the gap between basic science, clinical practice, and industrial innovation.
Victor Stephany, Economic Affairs Consul of the Belgian Consulate General in Shanghai, stated that the joint laboratory is built upon over two decades of scientific cooperation between the University of Liège and Hangzhou Normal University, reflecting the deepening relationship between Belgian and Chinese researchers. He pledged that Belgium will continue to support continuous and practical cooperation in the field of neuroscience.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847767354649600/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.