SA/China Joint Research Programme funds research: Acupuncture in ischemic stroke rehabilitation

11 Jun 2024
Research into the benefits of acupuncture for stroke rehabilitation
11 Jun 2024

Dr. Jia Fan (Division of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience Institute, UCT) awarded the SA/China Joint Research Programme grant, together with Prof. Chunhong Zhang of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TUTCM), which aims to support research mobility between the two countries to share expertise and increase research into the health applications of acupuncture.

Dr. Jia Fan (UCT Neuroscience Institute) and Prof. Chunhong Zhang (Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Dr. Jia Fan (UCT Neuroscience Institute) and Prof. Chunhong Zhang (First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine).

The project, titled 'Potential benefits and neural correlates of adjunctive acupuncture therapy in lower limb stroke rehabilitation' examines traditional Chinese medical techniques with a contemporary neuroscience lens. This research is expected to provide a robust scientific basis for the integration of acupuncture into mainstream physiotherapy for stroke rehabilitation.

International acclaim and presentations

Dr. Fan, together with Prof. Marc Combrinck (UCT) and Dr. Xueseheng Ma (UWC), visited TUTCM in June 2023. The visit was part of the collaborative effort to integrate traditional Chinese medicine with modern medical practices. Since then there have been numerous visits and the team of researchers have presented at many prestigious international conferences. 

The two research teams meet for the first time at the TUTCM 2023.
The two research teams meet for the first time at the TUTCM 2023.
Dr. Lu Hai visits the NI
Dr. Lu Hai, a co-investigator from TUTCM, visits the NI, September 2023.
16th International Academic Symposium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion held in Tianjin.
The research team (Fan, Combrinck and Barden) present at the 16th International Academic Symposium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion held in Tianjin, November 2023, where 800+ experts from around the world meet to discuss the latest advancements in acupuncture research and practice​​.
29th Organization for Human Brain Mapping annual meeting in Montreal, July 2023.
29th Organization for Human Brain Mapping annual meeting in Montreal, July 2023. One of the largest gatherings of professionals in MRI and brain mapping, with approximately 5,000 delegates.
First International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine African Chapter meeting held in Accra, September 2023.
First International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine African Chapter meeting held in Accra, September 2023.

Local engagements and future plans

Locally, this important research has been presented at the UCT Neuroscience Institute Research Day (March 2023), the Deep Learning IndabaX (July 2023), and the UCT HiP Research Symposium (November 2023). The interdisciplinary nature of the research means it is relevant to discovery neuroscience as well as computational neuroscience and neuroimaging. Furthermore, the work will be presented in three posters at the 30th Organization for Human Brain Mapping conference in Seoul, June 2024.

 

The SA/China Joint Research Programme grant facilitates the continuation of globally relevant and impactful research between the South African and Chinese research groups and paves the way for groundbreaking advancements in the field of stroke rehabilitation and acupuncture.