As one of the world's top 2% scientists, Keith Kendrick was formerly Director of the Laboratory of Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience at the Babrahan Institute at the University of Cambridge and a member of the British Biological Society. In 2011, he chose to take early retirement from Cambridge University and came to China, and since then he has been given a new Chinese name: Kong Zhewen. He also has a lot of new identities: the first "foreign face" national high-level talent in Sichuan, a professor and doctoral supervisor of the School of Life Science and Technology of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.
On the morning of December 14, the Qingshuihe Campus of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the winter campus and the golden ginkgo biloba were contrasting. On that day, the scientist, who had been working in Chengdu for more than ten years, wore a big red scarf, and the "Chinese red" was particularly dazzling on a cold winter day.
Time flies like a white horse, and twelve years have passed in the blink of an eye. In the past 12 years, Kong Zhewen has brought rich and profound research in the field of life sciences, while constantly making breakthroughs in the frontiers of science, and at the same time cooperating with medical institutions to help children with autism get out of the haze. At the same time, as the winner of the China Friendship Award, he also continues to promote cultural exchanges between China and the UK.
September 3, 2011 was an unforgettable day for Kong Zhewen. On this day, he took an international flight from London, England to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Spanning "8,000 kilometers of clouds and moons", he made an important decision.
At the exit of the airport, he was greeted by colleagues from the School of Life Sciences of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, as well as a few bouquets of blooming flowers, and the infinite excitement of the city.
His relationship with the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China began with the recommendation of Chinese academic friends.
Coming to this city and leaving the familiar language environment, whether it is life or scientific research, it is a new challenge for him to be over 50 years old.
The service of the school and the friendliness of the city made him quickly adapt to everything here.
In order to overcome the language barrier, the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China quickly assigned him an assistant. "My assistant Jane suggested that I take a Chinese name, so she gave me a very advanced version of Kong Zhewen, named after the culture of Confucius. You know, it's a glorious thing. ”
It's hard to be as lofty as the philosopher would like, but I've been trying. For example, 'a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step', and for me, the first step in deciding to come to China is very important. He said.
The influence of the philosopher, as well as his most profound experience in the past ten years - the foundation of the country is at home. "The cohesion of the family forms a close society, and this cohesion allows the Chinese not only to support and trust their own nation, but also to support and cooperate, which is a very united and mutually supportive society." ”
Before I came, I thought that China was very backward, but in fact it is not, like Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai are all leading in the world. For example, Chengdu, where I live, is no different from international metropolises such as London and New York. "From being alone in a foreign country at the beginning, to now having a reliable team around him, as well as strong support from all sides, Kong Zhewen now introduces China and Chengdu whenever he meets people," my friends say that I know China too well. ”
Why do you want mentally abnormal children to come to school?”
All he needs is a desk!”
The niche movie "Xihe" tells a story about a child with autism. Xihe, a 9-year-old child diagnosed with autism, entered an ordinary school, but was excluded and discriminated against because of his unusual behavior, and Xihe's mother was hoarse to insist that her son go to school normally.
Children with autism are a group of children like no other, often referred to as "children from the stars" by the outside world.
Some children with autism are withdrawn and rarely speak, but a large number of children are unable to even speak, bathe, go to school, and read books independently. "They may circle around an object, repeating it all the time, not talking or paying attention to the person. They need 24-hour care. Kong Zhewen's eyes softened when he mentioned the autistic children he had come into contact with.
Although research on autism is still being actively carried out in the global medical field, there is still a situation where the awareness of autism is not yet universal.
More than 8,000 kilometers from the UK to Chengdu, from 2011 to more than 100,000 hours today, is Kong Zhewen's research and exploration across 12 seasons, step by step.
Taking the lead in setting up the Neuroscience and Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory is a "meeting gift" that Kong Zhewen brought to the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and the city. The main task of the laboratory is to study the brain disorder mechanism of autism spectrum disorder, psychiatric disorder, anxiety disorder and other mental diseases, and to find new and effective intervention strategies through multimodal methods such as pharmacology, neuroimaging, and behavior.
For more than a decade, he and his team have been researching how to carry out behavioral interventions in the early diagnosis of autistic children through touching, touching, and social interaction, which will stimulate the brain to release oxytocin, a peptide hormone, relying on the management of oxytocin, through neurofeedback, computers, games and other technologies to actively control brain activity and connectivity.
Our clinical research with Chengdu Women and Children's Central Hospital showed that low-frequency nasal spray of oxytocin could improve the symptoms of autism in children. Picking up the white medicine bottle on the desk that looked no different from ordinary nasal care sprays, Kong Zhewen told reporters. Currently, his team is also working closely with autism research doctors in Beijing.
Seeing that the children's lack of social function has improved thanks to our efforts is even happier than when I published in a top journal!He couldn't hide his excitement. You know, many parents will be confused, anxious, and even hopeless when they learn that their child has been diagnosed with autism, and not everyone can face such a thing.
I hope more parents know that if we fail to detect and intervene at an early stage, it will have irreversible consequences for their children. The sooner parents can ensure that they have sufficient, warm and direct interaction with their children in the early stages, the better they may be able to reduce the severity of their children's autism. At the same time, schools and society should be tolerant enough for these children. During the interview, Kong Zhewen kept emphasizing.
In August this year, iNature announced the ranking of top scientists in the field of life sciences, and a total of 3 people from Sichuan were on the list, and Kong Zhewen was one of them.
As a scientist, it is natural to be pleased to continue to make breakthroughs and achievements in your own research field. Bless this joy, as well as his Chinese heart.
What changes have you witnessed in China over the past decade?When the reporter asked this question, Kong Zhewen blurted out, "The most surprising thing is the obvious feat of urban engineering construction, and China has changed very much!."”
The medical sector is also progressing rapidly, and the quality of health care is constantly improving. Judging by the changes in daily life, we have entered a cashless transaction society and switched to WeChat Pay and the like, and I haven't paid in cash in China for several years. "As the conversation shifted from the professional field to life, the atmosphere became more lively.
It was as if he had opened up the conversation.
When I first came to China, it was difficult to buy imported food. No matter how your culture changes, your tastes won't change completely. Don't get me wrong, I love Chinese food very, very much, and Sichuan food is amazing, but occasionally I want to try Western food. And now, almost anything is available, and that's a big change. Most importantly, I am becoming more and more familiar with Chinese culture, and I appreciate Chinese culture more than before. Also, it's safe here, so you don't have to worry about going out at night, I think China is the safest country in the world right now!”
Over the past ten years, Kong Zhewen has trained more than 20 doctorates and more than 30 masters, and usually teaches undergraduates. In addition to spending most of his time in the lab and office, he also gathers with his teammates during his breaks, and sometimes visits to local students' homes.
His love for China and Chengdu has made him devote himself to Sino-British cultural exchanges for more than ten years. "I will help my students to go to Cambridge University, and I will also contribute to the joint establishment of the University of Electronic Science and Technology and Glasgow. It's been 12 years, and in addition to looking different from you, this place has truly become my hometown!”
I would also tell my foreign and Chinese friends that you think Chengdu is synonymous with 'Bashi', but this is a misunderstanding. In fact, Chengdu people work hard when they should work hard, and they work hard when they should fight!In the hearty laughter, Kong Zhewen "confessed" like this.
If you want to understand China, you have to come to China. "The Chengdu Universiade held this year has attracted a lot of young people from all over the world, and I saw through the ** they released on foreign platforms that they have a very good impression of China and Chengdu. ”He suggested that China and Chengdu should hold more such events and grand events, so that young foreign friends can understand and like China. The future is for young people.
In 2021, Kong Zhewen said something when he participated in the "Centennial of the Founding of the Party, International Friends Message to China" event hosted by the magazine "International Talent Exchange", which was quite moving. "I feel that I have also contributed my 10 years to the first 100 years of the Communist Party of China, and I look forward to continuing to work hard to contribute my strength to China in the next 100 years. I don't know how many years I have left, but at least I can continue to work on it for the next 10 or 20 years. I don't plan to leave China, I am enjoying my life now, and I am very much looking forward to contributing more to China, as long as possible. ”
Chengdu ** Jinguan News.
Text: Zhang Tingting, Li Ying, Wu Zhe, Li Yanling.
Photography and video: Lv Jia, Liu Yang, Zeng Shurui, Wang Huan.
*: Zeng Shurui.
Poster: Yan Jin.
Editor-in-charge: He Qitie, Editor: Wang Qi.
Some of the ** and ** materials were provided by the respondents.