I completed residency training at the Orthopedics Hospital of Zhengzhou City and The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Medical University, Zhengzhou, China in 1992. I did a clinical study on intramedullary hypertension of the proximal humerus and several other clinical studies. Following that, I completed a one-year spine fellowship at The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Medical University. I then practiced as an orthopedic spine surgeon in Zhuhai China for over 10 years. I came to the United States in 2002 and completed a six-month Orthopedic Clinical and Research Fellowship at SUNY Upstate Medical University. Thereafter, I completed a one-year program as a Visiting Clinical Scholar and received Orthopedic Clinical Trauma Fellowship Training at the Medical College of Ohio in 2003. I served as a Visiting Clinical Scholar and Research Associate at The University of Toledo Medical College (“UTMC”) from 2003-2010 and have served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at UTMC since August 2010.

Research:

• Publication:

To date, I have been fortunate to publish 80 peer-reviewed research articles. Among them, I served as the corresponding author for 46 papers. As an Assistant Professor I have published 57 peer-reviewed papers, 33 of which I served as the corresponding author. I have also given 47 presentations at both national and international forums and conferences.

• Grants:

I have served as the principal investigator (“PI”) and obtained federal funding (Total $50,000) from the Economic Development Administration UTRFF for the project entitled “External Locking Fixation System for Extra-articular Tibia Fractures” on March 22, 2018 (See attached document). Recently, I submitted another grant application to the National Science Foundation entitled “Syndesmosis Fixation and Reconstruction System,” which is currently under review. Previously, I submitted seven grant proposals to date. I was a PI in six and a co-PI in one. I will contentedly aim to obtain more external funding to support novel research projects with an emphasis on the understanding the pathophysiology of orthopedic trauma, degenerative disorders, and deformity in order to improve clinical treatment outcomes and decrease complication rates.

• Patents and Products:

I always try to produce new and innovative technologies that will help millions of people with orthopedics injuries. I have also collaborated with experts in biomedical science to inform new technological development rationally targeted at value creation, faster recovery, and cost reduction. The goal is to enhance the probability for regulatory approval, payer reimbursement, and clinical adoption. I have been a principal inventor and filed two provisional patent applications through Technology Transfer Office on February 28, 2018. I am a lead inventor and have developed two innovative medical devices: an external plating fracture fixation device and a syndesmosis repair device. These devices employ minimally invasive techniques to treat complicated orthopedic fractures, allowing patients earlier movement after surgery. They result in a faster recovery and fewer complications. As a result, fewer patients will be disabled by such injuries. Hospital and physician outcomes will be improved, as well as patient morbidity and quality of life. Furthermore, the costs of care will be reduced. Both Stryker and DePuy Synthesis, the world's leading medical technology companies, have tried to license this technology from our university and offer the innovative products and services in orthopedics. I hope my efforts and dedication serve as a reflection of the scientific pursuit that makes our Department and school so academically strong.

• Research Mentoring:

I have spent a lot of effort and time advising medical, graduate, and undergraduate students. I strive to provide direction, design, and suggestions throughout the course of their research projects to help them to become more competitive candidates in orthopedics and other specialties.

For the past several years, I have mentored 33 Master of Sciences in Biomedical Sciences (MSBS) graduate students for their scholarly projects. Thirty of them were after I worked as assistant professor. I have also served as a major research project advisor for 108 medical students. After becoming an assistant professor, I mentored one hundred and five students. With my help, over 40 students have become very competitive, with many matching at top orthopedic programs including: Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Northwestern.

In my 80 published papers, I have coauthored with a total 117 medical students to date. One hundred and six of them were after I worked as an assistant professor since 2010. I have also coauthored with 26 orthopedic residents (15 were after 2010), 27 MSBS students (15 were after 2010) and 8 undergraduate students.

My goals in research mentoring are to strengthen students' credentials, enhance their candidacy in multiple competitive programs, and assist them in succeeding in their academic and professional endeavors. Not only does acceptance into these highly competitive programs help students establish their futures, it also reflects well on the university as a whole and serves as a testament to my devotion to our students and residents.

Teaching:

I taught a course titled Introduction to Orthopedic Research. It was offered for medical students either interested in pursuing orthopedic surgery as a career or for those interested in other specialties who were trying to strengthen their credentials through research. I engage in significant amounts of practical teaching in orthopedics on a regular and ongoing basis. For the past several years, I have mentored 33 MSBS graduate students and 108 medical students for their research projects. With my help, over 40 students have become very competitive, with many matching at top orthopedic programs including the Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Northwestern. Not only does acceptance into these highly competitive programs help students establish their futures, it also reflects well on the university as a whole and serves as a testament to my devotion to our students and residents. I am committed to both helping residents develop practical and necessary knowledge in research and its methodology and to nurturing clinician-scientists. I have tried to help and influence residents on medical research knowledge, practice-based learning and research, and professionalism. I have encouraged many residents to be involved in my research and publications. The following are examples of successful students and residents that I have worked with:

Muhammad Moral, who I began mentoring as an MSBS student. While supervising Moral during his time as a graduate research assistant until he matched into orthopedic surgery, I was able to guide and mentor him through about 10 projects.

Medical student John T Weston started to work with me after his Step 1 test. He finished 4 peer-reviewed papers under my guidance and succeeded in matching at Mayo Clinic as an orthopedic resident.

Undergraduate student Joseph R. Ray started to work with me when he was in his third-year as an undergraduate student. He finished two papers with me in that time and succeeded in entering medical school.

Orthopedic Residents Dr. Steve Haman and Dr. Chris Sanford and I coordinated several papers for each of them during their residency and significantly supported their quality training. Currently they both have become excellent orthopedic attending physicians.

Service:  

I have deliberately sought out service opportunities that enable me to contribute my experience and expertise in the academic community.

University Service:

• Interviewed applicants for College of Medicine
• Member of the Professional graduate faculty at University of Toledo
• Moderator/Host
  1. Hosted 11th Annual Spine Conference at the Medical College of Ohio in 2003
  2. Hosted 12th Annual Spine Conference at the Medical College of Ohio in 2004
  3. Hosted 13th Annual Spine Conference at the Medical College of Ohio in 2005
  4. Hosted 2004 Annual Trauma Meeting of Ohio at the Medical College of Ohio
  5. Hosted 2010 UTMC Orthopedic Residents Research Day Presentation
  6. Hosted 2012 UTMC Orthopedic Residents Research Day Presentation
  7. Hosted 2013 UTMC Orthopedic Residents Research Day Presentation
  8. Hosted 2015 UTMC Orthopedic Residents Research Day Presentation
  9. Hosted 2016 UTMC Orthopedic Residents Research Day Presentation
  10. Co-Hosted 2017 UTMC Orthopedic Residents Research Day Presentation
  11. Hosted 2018 UTMC Orthopedic Residents Research Day Presentation

Outside University Service:

I reviewed manuscripts and provided secondary opinions for the following journals:

• The Spine Journal
• The World Journal of Orthopedics