The 69th Distinguished Scientist Lecture was held on the afternoon of November 5 in Mingde Building. Luo Liqun, a world-renowned neurobiologist, member of the US National Academy of Sciences and tenured professor at Stanford University, delivered a lecture titled “My Exploration in Neuroscience.” Xu Wei, Vice Chairman of the Hainan Association for Science and Technology (HAST), and Luo Qingming, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and HNU President, were in attendance. The event was chaired by President Luo.

The 69th Distinguished Scientist Lecture is held in Mingde Building on the afternoon of November 5.

Prof. Luo reflected on his personal growth and academic journey, recounting his path into neuroscience research and sharing the coincidences and opportunities that led him to choose the field. He then elaborated on the key topics, including the molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal morphogenesis and the importance of studying individual neurons. Using the olfactory circuits of mice and fruit flies as case studies, he traced the research trajectory from single-neuron analysis to neural circuit assembly and explained his rationale for focusing on the olfactory system.

Prof. Luo Liqun delivers the lecture in Mingde Building on the afternoon of November 5. 

Prof. Luo Liqun noted that classroom instruction and teacher-student interactions can catalyze research thinking and expand the boundaries of academic inquiry. He said that both the key scientific questions guiding early research on olfactory circuits and the launch of a single-cell RNA sequencing project in fruit flies grew out of his everyday teaching, and that years of teaching also inspired him to write a textbook. He encouraged the audience to actively identify new research directions and entry points through teaching and textbook writing. Taking the knowledge gaps he discovered while writing his textbook as the starting point, he systematically introduced several new research avenues his team had pioneered, showcasing how teaching informs research and research empowers teaching.

During the Q&A session, teachers and students asked about a range of topics, including the impact of AI on education, how to tailor lecture content to different student groups, and how to stay positive in the face of research challenges. Prof. Luo answered each question in detail, sharing cutting-edge perspectives and his own experience.

Teachers and students ask questions during the Q&A session.

Before the lecture, Prof. Luo visited the HNU History Museum and the Integrated Application Scenarios Exhibition Hall at the Collaborative Innovation Center.

Prof. Luo visit the exhibitions before the lecture. 

Directors of relevant  Hainan Association for Science and Technology (HAST) departments attended the lecture, along with representatives from academic societies and from enterprise and university sci-tech associations. Also present were heads of relevant HNU schools and departments, representatives of the First Affiliated Hospital of HNU, and faculty and student representatives from the Haidian, Danzhou, Mission Hills (including the Chengxi Teaching Site), and Yazhou campuses. They participated in person or online.

Translated by Wang Siyi

Proofread by Kuang Xiaowen