Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will escort a delegation of Los Angeles leaders in tourism, business and medicine to China to attend a Nov. 19 ceremony celebrating UCLA Health’s partnership with Centre Testing International (CTI), a Chinese firm, to launch an advanced medical laboratory in the Zhabei district of Shanghai.

The new facility, to be named the UCLA Health/CTI Medical Laboratories, is expected to open in early 2015.

“Our laboratory will bring UCLA’s state-of-the-art clinical diagnostic testing and pathology expertise to China to support pharmaceutical companies’ local clinical trial programs, and offer advanced diagnostic services and companion testing at the highest international standards,” said Dr. Serge Alexanian, the facility’s chief medical officer. 

Reed Hutchinson/UCLA
Back in April, Sangem Hsu, president of CTI, and Dr. David Feinberg, president of UCLA Health System, signed an agreement to operate a joint clinical laboratory in Shanghai.

The partnership advances UCLA Health’s international outreach efforts aimed at strengthening Sino-U.S. relationships in order to enhance patient care around the world. It also acts as a bridge between Chinese patients, research and development professionals and world-class pathologists from UCLA.

"Los Angeles is a hub for medical excellence and innovation, and the UCLA Department of Pathology is on the cutting edge of clinical testing," said Garcetti.  "Through this partnership with CTI, UCLA can share its expertise with fellow scientists while improving health care and the quality of life for the people of China."

The partnership is the first between a Chinese company and a U.S. academic medical center to create a specialized laboratory in China. The 25,000-square-foot facility will offer genetic and molecular diagnostics and other sophisticated tests that exceed the scope of the average lab in China. UCLA pathologists will train Chinese lab specialists to accurately interpret the tests with an information-technology platform that will generate reports in both Mandarin and English.  

"This joint venture is founded on UCLA's desire to build strong global relationships that improve the health of people and communities through education, research and service," said Michael Burke, director of international development for UCLA Health. "UCLA has a genuine interest in elevating the level of medicine around the world.”