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Department of Human Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Center

Department of Human Anatomy was founded in 1950, and it is one of the first departments empowered to set up Ph.D. and master programs in China. It became the national key discipline in 1989, renewed in 2001, and to be one the members which founded a postdoctoral training station in Basic Medicine in 1992. In 1995 the patriotic Hong Kong banker Dr. K. K. Leung donated 500 million Hong Kong dollars and with the permission of the Department of General Logistics of the PLA, the "K.K. Leung Brain Research Center" attached to the department was established. In 1997, it became the "211 Project" priority discipline. In 1999, it was appraised the discipline that can engage the specially invited professor of "Cheung Kong Scholars Programme". Comparing with the same disciplines nationwide, the department keeps ahead in faculties' qualification, high-quality research works, training programs, equipment and international communication and so on.

Research fields:

1. The Neural Basis of Mechanisms Underlying Analgesia
After a thorough study on the somatic primary afferents and the pelvic visceral nociceptive primary afferents converged in the sacral dorsal commissural nucleus, the previous concept that the visceral nerve was the autonomic nerve and lasted over 100 years has been modified. Another interested research topic in this filed is the central endogenous descending pain control (inhibition) system. Consulting the previous studies, using the combined modern neuroscience research techniques, we have systemically identified the origins, fiber connections, neurotransmitters and their receptors of the central endogenous descending pain control system. Meanwhile, the local circuits and their neurotransmitters and receptors in the spinal dorsal horn related to the nociceptive transmission and modulation have also been investigated. The modulatory mechanisms of this system on the transmission of peripheral nociceptive information to the central nervous system have also been clarified. We have received 1 state award for Natural Science (fourth prize), and 10 PLA awards of Progress in Science and Technology (first and second prizes). More than 100 papers have been published on internationally recognized scientific journals and these papers have been cited for more than 500 times. This research project has also been supported by the National Basic Research Program (973 projects). To further reveal the neural mechanisms underlying analgesia by using neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, neuropharmacological and molecular biological methods has been focused in our current research works. We hope that our results can serve the basis for developing the new analgesic drugs and establishing more effective clinical methods for curing and relieving pain.

2.The Central Pathways for the Trigeminal Proprioceptive Sensory Information Transmission and Its Related Modulatory Mechanisms
The mesencephalic nucleus of trigeminal nerve is the first-order neuron for transmitting the trigeminal orofacial proprioceptive sensory information, however, the central pathways underlying the transmission of orofacial propriception is still unclear, even in the neuroanatomical textbook. It is just our pioneer researches has revealed that the central pathways for the transmission of orofacial propriception composing of the third- and fourth-order neurons. These results have been proved and confirmed by employing various neuroscience methods. We have received 1 state award of Progress in Science and Technology (third prize), and 1 PLA award of Progress in Science and Technology (second prize). More than 40 papers have been published and these papers have been cited for about 100 times. Current research focuses on the generation, transmission and modulatory mechanisms of the orofacial propriception by combined multiple modern neuroscience methods. We hope our results will make great contribution to the clarification of the pathogenesis and curing of various diseases in the orofacial region (such as disfunction of temporomandibular joint) concerned with the orofacial proprioception.

Now the department possesses 4 full professors, 3 associate professors, 4 doctoral supervisors and 5 Master Degree tutors for postgraduate students, 3 senior lecturers, 12 research and teaching assistants and 7 technicians. We have trained 136 graduate students, including 48 PhD students. Three postdoctoral fellows have been recruited. Currently, there are 12 PhD students and 17 Master students. Among the graduated PhD students, 1 received the national excellent doctoral dissertation award and this is the only one in the university. Three doctoral students received Shaanxi provincial award for excellent doctoral dissertation, 4 received Shaanxi provincial excellent paper award for natural science, and 8 received excellent paper award for scientific conferences. The graduated students are playing important roles in many world and national famous scientific research institutes and universities.

Contact Information:
Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre
The Fourth Military Medical University
No. 17, West Changle Road
Xi'an, 710032
P. R. China
Tel: 86-29-83374501 (office)
Fax: 86-29-83283229 (office)
E-mail: deptanat@fmmu.edu.cn

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