Meet our China scholar Hao
I am a PhD candidate from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China, majoring in orthopedic surgery. I was working here in Oslo for 17 months thanks to joint exchange scholarship from China Scholarship Council and Research Council of Norway for one year, and had a change to extend my research stay in Norway with a grant from Corticalis AS. All in all, I have spent the 5th to 7th semesters of my PhD at this spectacular department.
What did Hao learn during his stay in Oslo?
For the past one and a half years, I was studying the biological response of bone grafts modified with intrinsically disordered proteins, mainly focussing on the osteogenic effects, or in other words, investigating the capacity of bone forming cells to create bone tissue on this type of biomaterial. The experiments were carried with both human osteoblasts and mesenchymal stem cells. I used confocal and scanning electron microscopy to look at the cells adhering on the surface of the material and assessed the cell differentiation towards bone tissue using multiplex assay. Also, I was investigating bone formation within the porous graft material with microCT.
The time I have spent in Norway and at the Department of Biomaterials was truly fantastic. The lab was fully equipped with all the instruments that I needed in my research, and through collaboration with other institutes at the university, I even had access to more advanced instruments and techniques as well. In addition, the researchers at the department come from different countries and institutions, which promotes a very social and international scientific working environment. I think this is crucial for a highly interdisciplinary field such as biomaterial science. Generally speaking, it was an amazing place to put my ideas into practice.
Moreover, collisions and fusions of multiple cultures made the lab into a creative social melting pot with very accepting and friendly atmosphere for newcomers to the group like me, regardless which part of the world they may be coming from. Especially because of the curious cake rules at the lab! I really appreciate all the assistance and support I have received from everyone in the lab, and I will never forget the memories and friendship I made during my time is Oslo. I wish I could come back here again.
Photos by Florian Weber / UiO
