He was born in China but is a citizen of the United States. Responding to his bilingual ability, he is also recognized for his "bilateral" work a professor of neurobiology in Berkeley and a director with a neuroscience academy in Shanghai.

Compared with his entrenched reputation in neurobiological research, Mu-ming Poo, 58, has more reasons to take pride in his administrative ability and revolutionary spirit manifested in China during the past seven years.

Appointed director of the Institute of Neuroscience of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in November 1999, Poo was the first foreigner in that position in the academy's history. However, what distinguishes him from former directors is not only his citizenship but also his courage to reform the system.

The professor has introduced a lot of international practices to the institute, including a direct responsibility system for group leaders and a regular review system of its scientific staff.

The institute now has 14 laboratory directors, most of whom were recruited under Poo's direct supervision.

He has also initiated regular scientific writing classes, which use drafts of manuscripts to illustrate how to improve clarity and precision.

"These skills are important, but ultimately it is confidence and skill in attacking important problems at the forefront of science that will lead to major discoveries and international recognition," Poo wrote in Nature, a world-renowned US-based science journal, two years ago.

His efforts paid off. By the end of August 2005, the institute had published 22 disquisitions about original research in world-leading journals including Cell, Nature and Science. It was almost one-third of the total by Chinese life scientists during that period.

Tied to two jobs, Poo has to shuttle between the United States and China. He spends one week per month at the institute. But even when he stays in the United States, he reviews e-mails from his Chinese colleagues late every night to oversee the work.

The scientist is aware that he is not only doing his job, but also setting up a paradigm for the country.

In his eyes, China is attaching increasing importance to scientific research but still has a long way to go because of a lack of a sound academic environment.

"China lacks a tradition of basic scientific research, a healthy competence, a number of world-renowned scientists in frontier disciplines, a strict academic assessment system and an independent appraisal of research budget application," Poo said in an interview with Science Times, a Beijing-based newspaper, last month.

He added that the quality of a research institution depends on merit-based appointments, promotions and resource allocation.

And his goal is distinctive, as he said in his article "Cultural Reflections" in Nature: "It will take time to develop distinct approaches to science away from mainstream influences, and it requires patience and persistence on the part of individual scientists and scientific administrators."

Born in East China's Jiangsu Province, Poo was brought up in Taiwan Province. He has been studying and working in the United States since 1971.

His recent research is trying to understand how experience can modify the development and the function of neural circuits in the brain.

(China Daily 04/17/2006 page5)