Zengxin Gao | Medicine and Health Sciences | Innovative Research Award

Dr. Zengxin Gao | Medicine and Health Sciences | Innovative Research Award

Department of Orthopedics, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University School of Medicine | China

Dr. Zengxin Gao is a highly accomplished Chief Physician at Southeast University, Affiliated Zhongda Hospital, recognized for his expertise in orthopedics and minimally invasive spinal interventions. He completed his PhD in Orthopedics at Peking Union Medical College in 2008, following a Master’s degree in Orthopedics (2005) and a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Medicine from Nanjing Medical University (1990). Dr. Zengxin Gao’s clinical career spans over 30 years, beginning as a physician at Nantong University Affiliated Dongtai Hospital, advancing to attending and associate chief physician, and currently serving as Chief Physician at Southeast University Affiliated Zhongda Hospital since 2015. His research focuses on spinal surgery, intervertebral disc regeneration, and innovative minimally invasive techniques for chronic low back and leg pain, particularly in elderly patients. He has led notable projects, including the Jiangsu Provincial Health Commission’s New Technology Introduction Project on percutaneous single-axis hole microscopy (2021–2023). Dr. Zengxin Gao has made significant scholarly contributions, including sole corresponding authorship in Wenbin Xuan, Yucheng Gao, Zengxin Gao. Intraspinal Bone Fragments Resorption in Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture. JAMA Neurol. 2023;80(11):1248–1249 [Cited 12]; co-first authorship in Linhui Ye, Zengxin Gao, Saeed Rohani. Intervertebral disk regeneration in a rat model by allopurinol-loaded Chitosan/alginate hydrogel. Biomol Biomed. 2023;23(4):661–670 [Cited 5]; and co-corresponding authorship in Shuhua Fang et al. Circ_0027885 sponges miR-203-3p to regulate RUNX2 expression and alleviates osteoporosis progression. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024;25:5 [Cited 3]. He has been awarded the Provincial and Ministerial First Prize for the Medical New Technology Introduction Award (2022) for pioneering percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic intervertebral fusion. Dr. Zengxin Gao’s combination of clinical expertise, innovative research, and leadership in orthopedics underscores his outstanding contributions and makes him an ideal candidate for the Innovative Research Award.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

• Xuan, W., Gao, Y., & Gao, Z. (2023). Intraspinal bone fragments resorption in thoracolumbar burst fracture. JAMA Neurology, 80(11), 1248–1249.
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.2901

• Ye, L., Gao, Z., & Rohani, S. (2023). Intervertebral disk regeneration in a rat model by allopurinol-loaded chitosan/alginate hydrogel. Biomolecules and Biomedicine, 23(4), 661–670.
https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2023.8535

• Fang, S., Cao, D., Wu, Z., Chen, J., Huang, Y., Shen, Y., & Gao, Z. (2024). Circ_0027885 sponges miR-203-3p to regulate RUNX2 expression and alleviates osteoporosis progression. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 25(1), 5.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-023-07172-0

• Gao, Z., Lin, Y., Wu, Z., Zhang, P., Cheng, Q., Ye, L., Wu, F., Chen, Y., Fu, M., Cheng, C., & Gao, Y. (2020). LncRNA SNHG6 can regulate the proliferation and apoptosis of rat degenerate nucleus pulposus cells via regulating the expression of miR-101-3p. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 24(16), 8251–8262.
https://doi.org/10.26355/eurrev_202008_22592

• Gao, Z., Lin, Y., Zhang, P., Cheng, Q., Ye, L., Wu, F., Chen, Y., Fu, M., Cheng, C., & Gao, Y. (2019). Sinomenine ameliorates intervertebral disc degeneration via inhibition of apoptosis and autophagy in vitro and in vivo. American Journal of Translational Research, 11(9), 5956–5966.
https://www.ajtr.org/files/ajtr0094769.pdf

Sonja Jahnke | Medicine and Health Sciences | Young Scientist Award

Ms. Sonja Jahnke | Medicine and Health Sciences | Young Scientist Award

Group Practice Drs. Jahnke | Germany

Ms. Sonja Jahnke is a promising young physician-scientist whose academic trajectory reflects an exceptional blend of clinical excellence, research productivity, and international engagement in orthopaedics and sports medicine. She completed her medical education at Brandenburg Medical School (MHB), complemented by clinical rotations at Ludwig Maximilian University, University Hospital Brandenburg, and St. Vinzenz Hospital, where she gained comprehensive training in internal medicine, trauma care, orthopaedics, and sports orthopaedics. Since July 2025, she has been serving as a resident physician in training, advancing her clinical expertise while building upon her earlier role as a surgical assistant at Sporthopaedicum Berlin. Her research focuses on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, rehabilitation strategies, and the influence of bracing and muscular strength on functional recovery, bridging biomechanics with patient-centered outcomes. Ms. Sonja Jahnke has authored three peer-reviewed publications indexed in Scopus, with 34 citations across 34 documents and an h-index of 2, reflecting her growing scholarly impact. Her contributions have appeared in leading journals such as the Journal of Clinical Medicine (2025), Sports Orthopaedics and Traumatology (2023), Efort Open Reviews (2023), and Healthcare Basel (2023), advancing knowledge on ACL rehabilitation, orthopaedic outcomes, and innovative treatment approaches. In addition, she has delivered invited presentations at prestigious international meetings, including ESSKA 2024 in Milan and the Berlin Arthroscopy Course, underscoring her recognition as a dynamic and insightful communicator. Her achievements have been further acknowledged with the Young Investigator Award from Brandenburg Medical School in 2022, highlighting her strong potential as an emerging leader in sports medicine research and clinical practice.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

  1. Jahnke, S., Prill, R., Królikowska, A., & Becker, R. (2025, September). Test learning effects influence coordinative but not strength-related tasks in patients six months after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

  2. Prill, R., Cruysen, C., Jahnke, S., & Becker, R. (2023, June). Der Einfluss von Bandagen und Orthesen auf die Performance in der Back in Action Testbatterie. Conference Paper.

  3. Diquattro, E., Jahnke, S., Traina, F., & Kopf, S. (2023, May). ACL surgery: Reasons for failure and management.

  4. Jahnke, S., Cruysen, C., Prill, R., & Becker, R. (2023, February). Protocol for a randomized crossover trial to evaluate the effect of soft brace and rigid orthosis on performance and readiness to return to sport six months post-ACL-reconstruction.

  5. Jahnke, S., Becker, R., Królikowska, A., & Prill, R. (2022, August). Manual estimation of hip abductor strength – A practical alternative to conventional assessment tools? Conference Paper.

  6. Jahnke, S., Królikowska, A., Becker, R., & Prill, R. (2022, August). Influence of hip abductor strength on pelvis and knee position during a single-leg landing test. Conference Paper.

  7. Rinaldi, V. G., Prill, R., Jahnke, S., & Becker, R. (2022, August). The influence of gluteal muscle strength deficits on dynamic knee valgus: A scoping review.