From October 1-4, the 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) conference was held in San Diego, USA.

Xiaohao WU, a Ph.D. student in Professor Guozhi XIAO’s School of Medicine research group at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), won the 2021 ASBMR Felix Bronner Young Investigator Award at the conference.

Xiaohao WU was invited to present his research results, entitled “Kindlin-2 preserves integrity of the articular cartilage to protect against osteoarthritis,” which is the mechanism of Kindlin-2 protein to maintain cartilage homeostasis against osteoarthritis.

His study revealed the crucial role of Kindlin-2 protein in the homeostasis of articular chondrocytes, chondrocyte senescence, and the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis.

The award was established in honor of Professor Felix Bronner from the University of Connecticut Health Center, who made outstanding contributions towards orthopedic research. It is awarded to the highest-ranking abstract submitted by a young investigator with a focus on bone.

A total of 1,123 research abstracts from various universities and research institutes worldwide were submitted to the ASBMR. In the end, the one with the highest score was selected to receive the ASBMR Felix Bronner Young Investigator Award.