Shanghai Cancer Institute, China
The Shanghai Cancer Institute (SCI) was founded in 1958 and is an independent institution focused on cancer research affiliated with the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Health. The SCI was identified by the WHO as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on Cancer in China in 1980. On the approval of the National Science and Technology Committee, the State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes (SKLORG) was established on the basis of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 1985. The Shanghai Research and Development Facilities for Gene Therapy with the GMP level was established within SCI in 1996, and the Cancer Institute of Shanghai Jiaotong University was approved by Chinese Ministry of Education in 2003. SCI’s mission is to conduct research on epidemiology, etiology, and mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis of cancer to advance the comprehensive prevention and control of cancer.
Fellowship Site: Shanghai, China; US Partner: Vanderbilt University
DetailsInternational Site: Shanghai Cancer Institute Country: China US Director: US Institution: 2009 U.S. Scholar: 2009 International Scholar: |
The main research sections are the Department of Cancer Epidemiology and the SKLORG, as well as research groups focused on the functional characterization and mechanistic elucidation of human cancer-related genes, cancer microenvironment and metastasis, cancer epigenetics, molecular pathology, gene therapy, molecular diagnosis, cancer stem cells, targeting drug and drug delivery systems, genome instability, animal models and related experiments, etc. There are 119 faculty members at SCI; 106 are scientists, researchers, and technicians, 23 are associate professors and professors, and three are members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
SCI has led many important projects funded by the National Grants of Basic Research and Development Program of China (“863” program), the National Grants of Basic Research (“973” program), the National Key Projects (e.g. National Five Year Plan), the National Foundation of Natural Science in China. In addition, SCI had established many cooperative studies with distinguished universities and institutes in China and abroad, including three large-scale population-based cohort st udies that are carried out in collaboration with Vanderbilt University and the University of Minnesota and are funded by the US National Cancer Institute. During the past 50 years, more than 1000 papers have been published by SCI’s scientists in national or international journals. SCI’s scientists have obtained 68 awards or achievements in science and technology from the municipality of Shanghai and the Chinese national government. 70 patents were authorized for SCI’s scientists, 67 in China and four abroad. Many graduates had obtained their Master’s or PhD degrees from SCI since the 1980s.
An educational program was started by the Institute for postgraduates in 1979. Since then, over 100 Master’s degrees have been granted through the Shanghai Second Medical University, the School of Public Health, Shanghai Medical University, and Fudan University in subjects ranging from Biochemistry and Immunology to Epidemiology and Health Statistics to Pathogenic Biology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Currently, 36 students are studying under eleven SCI advisors (7 for PhD and 4 for Master’s degrees).
The journal, Tumor (bi-monthly 1981-2006, monthly 2006-present), has been sponsored and published by SCI since 1981. It was designated as one of the national core journals in China in 1985.
The Department of Epidemiology at SCI, one of the earliest organizations in China to conduct research work in cancer epidemiology, was founded in 1978 and was based on a study group of cancer registration and cancer control scientists. The Shanghai Cancer Registry, a population-based cancer registry, was initiated and established in the Department to collect and analyze data on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival, as well as the secular trends of cancer incidence during the period of 1963 to 2001. The Shanghai Cancer Registry was moved to the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2001. On March 28, 1980, the Shanghai Cancer Institute was designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on Cancer. Prof Yu-Tang Gao, Chief of the Department, was appointed as the head of the Centre.
The missions for the Epidemiology Department are: 1) to evaluate the role of environmental factors (e.g. diet, nutrients, lifestyle, obesity, physical activity, etc.) in the development of common cancers; 2) to conduct molecular epidemiology studies of cancer by means of advanced techniques in biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, genetics, etc, focusing on the role of diet, nutrients, and genetic polymorphisms and gene-environment interactions in carcinogenesis; 3) to explore new approaches and techniques for cancer prevention and control in communities of urban Shanghai, in accordance with the role of a WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on Cancer.
Over the last three decades, the Epidemiology Department has been collaborating with some of the world’s most distinguished research institutions and universities abroad such as IARC (Lyon, France), the US National Cancer Institute, the University of Southern California, the University of Minnesota, Vanderbilt University, and Yale University. These collaborative research activities have covered almost all areas of cancer epidemiology. The department has conducted a series of population-based case-control and cohort studies focusing on common cancers or cancers which show a sharp increase in morbidity, such as cancers of the lung, stomach, esophagus, colon and rectum, pancreas, liver, breast, ovary, endometrium, nasopharynx, urinary bladder, prostate, and biliary tract. Currently, the department is leading three large-scale cohort studies (the Shanghai Cohort Study, the Shanghai Women’s Health Study, and the Shanghai Men’s Health Study) and three population-based case-control studies in collaboration with the US National Cancer Institute, Vanderbilt University, the University of Minnesota, and Yale University. In addition, there are several ongoing projects that are funded by the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee and the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Public Health.
Investigators of the Department have published more than 300 papers in some of the most highly respected, peer-reviewed international journals. Department investigators have been awarded multiple prizes (first, second and third grades) for their achievements in science and technology from the Chinese Government, Chinese Ministry of Health, and Shanghai Municipal Government. A total of 27 Master’s students have graduated from the Department since 1986.
Research Opportunities:
The Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center hosts more than 30 NIH-funded research projects. These projects provide excellent training opportunities for both U.S. and Chinese trainees.
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Shanghai Women's Health Study-This is a large population-based prospective cohort study initiated in 1996. From 1996 to 2000, approximately 75,000 Chinese women who lived in Shanghai were recruited into the study (AJE, 162:1123, 2005). In addition to survey data, most study participants donated blood and urine samples at baseline. This cohort of women are being followed for the occurrence of cancer and several common diseases through biennial home visits and record linkage with files routinely collected by the Shanghai Cancer Registry and the Vital Statistics Unit. In the current funding cycle, the study focuses on evaluating dietary factors that may reduce the risk of cancers. The resources from this study have supported multiple projects that address etiologic hypotheses for cancers, and other chronic diseases, such as coronary heart diseases, asthma, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, and bone fracture.
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Shanghai Men’s Health Study-The Shanghai Men’s Health Study (SMHS) is a population-based cohort study of 61,582 men that is being conducted in parallel with the SWHS. In addition to survey data, two-thirds of study participants provided a blood sample, and near 90% provided a urine sample to the study. Two food frequency questionnaires were/are being administered in person two years apart. The cohort is being followed through a combination of biennial home visits of all living subjects and record linkages with data collected by the Shanghai Cancer Registry and Vital Statistics Unit on mortality, occurrence of cancer and major chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and bone fracture.
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Soyfood and Coronary Heart Disease in Women-This is an ancillary study of SWHS aiming to test the hypothesis that soy food consumption decreases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and CHD-related death, particularly among women who have a high risk of developing CHD. This study includes two components: 1) a longitudinal analysis of dietary soy intake and CHD risk; 2) a nested case-control study evaluating the association of urinary isoflavonoid levels, biomarkers of soy intake, with CHD risk. The modification effect of blood lipid profile and C-reactive protein, known risk factors for CHD, on the soy-CHD association will also be evaluated.
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Shanghai Breast Cancer Study-This is an ongoing study funded since 1996 to investigate genetic and lifestyle factors as well as other biomarkers for breast cancer risk and survival. Included in the study are approximately 3,500 breast cancer cases and an equal number of community controls recruited among female residents of Shanghai, China. In addition to in-person interview data, biological samples have also been collected from study participants. The resources from the study have supported multiple externally funded research and training grants. To date, over 100 research papers have been published on the SBCS addressing a wide range of significant issues related to breast cancer risk and survival. A genome-wide association study of breast cancer has been recently launched using the resources of this study and Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study.
Housing/Meals/Transportation:
SCI will assist with finding an apartment, furniture, and other necessities. The apartment will be located within 3 miles of transportation to SCI (20-30 minutes bus ride). Monthly costs for room, board, and transportation average about 1200 USD/person.
Health Issues:
The NIH/FICRS program requires all trainees to see a physician before they leave for assignment abroad. Please visit U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website and The Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel.
Safety Issues:
Please visit the State Department website.
Language requirements other than English:
Most researchers at the SCI can communicate in spoken and written English. There are professional language schools for foreigners to learn Chinese in Shanghai. Payment of tuition for such programs will be the responsibility of the trainee.
What is it like to live in Shanghai?
Working and living in Shanghai is an unprecedented opportunity to live abroad while engaging in critical issues of emerging health risks associated with modernization. An important center of commerce and finance and the world's largest port, Shanghai, a city of over 18 million residents, is located on the central eastern coast of China. As a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, Shanghai offers great opportunities to explore the rich history and culture of China while enjoying the best of global trends and Western comforts. Hanzhou and Suzhou, two of China’s most historic and scenic cities, are located only 1.5 hours away. Direct flights are available to most major cities in China, and overnight express trains run regularly to Beijing, China’s burgeoning capital.
