Newswise — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was pleased to host China’s first lady, Madame Peng Liyuan, this morning for what we believe was her only official visit while in Seattle with her husband, President Xi Jinping.
Click here for a Fred Hutch News Service article about her visit.
Given Madame Peng’s role as the World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador on HIV/AIDS, and the work of Fred Hutch’s China Initiative, the work being done at Fred Hutch is a good match for her leadership and interests.
During her hour-long visit she learned of Fred Hutch’s global research collaborations in more than 70 countries, including China, where we have a number of established relationships, including a formal partnership with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
She also learned about our leading role in the global quest for an HIV/AIDS vaccine, as Fred Hutch houses the world headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.During the visit the first lady heard brief presentations from a number of Fred Hutch researchers, including:• Fred Hutch President and Director Dr. Gary Gilliland, who welcomed her and gave her a brief overview of the Hutch’s mission and accomplishments.• Dr. Julie McElrath, senior vice president and director of the Fred Hutch Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, spoke about our research in HIV and infectious diseases. • Dr. Steve Self, executive director of Fred Hutch’s China Initiative, talked about the Hutch’s research collaborations with China. For example, the Hutch and China have established a tumor tissue repository with the Henan Cancer Research Institute.• Dr. Jonathan Bricker, director of the Tobacco and Behavioral Science Research Group at Fred Hutch, spoke about his cutting-edge research in using technology such as mobile apps in smoking cessation – a topic particularly relevant in China, which has more than 300 million smokers, 575 million smartphone users and where more than a million die from smoking-related illnesses annually.
The first lady also met with Fred Hutch Nobel laureate and neurobiologist Dr. Linda Buck and toured parts of our campus, including our Nobel display and our HIV vaccine research labs.
Also joining the first lady throughout her entire visit were Bill and Melinda Gates, co-chairs and trustees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has been a significant supporter of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and tobacco prevention and control in China, as well as research at Fred Hutch. Since 2000, Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation have donated more than $60 million to the Hutch. Also on hand was Dr. Yiming Shao, a virologist and immunologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
A handful of credentialed U.S. and Chinese journalists were on hand to cover the visit.
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