By Cameron Walker<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Hui Cong will soon return to her hometown in China — but she is leaving behind a body of work that will help make better, longer lasting surgical materials. She has focused her research here at the <\/span>Wilson College of Textiles<\/span><\/a> on barbed sutures — monofilaments that each look like the thorned stem of a rose — which eliminate the need for tying knots, thus reducing surgical time and promoting wound healing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Her years of work on this subject have been truly hands-on. She shadowed plastic surgeon <\/span>Dr. Gregory Ruff<\/span><\/a>, whose barbed suture device was the first to gain <\/span>Food and Drug Administration<\/span><\/a> approval, standing beside him as he conducted several surgeries, including an 8-hour long full-body procedure from eyelid lift to tummy tuck. He taught her suturing, a skill she put to use while conducting animal studies for her research. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cong won Best Oral Presentation Award for the Materials Innovation category at the Wilson College of Textiles Research Open House on April 16 for her presentation, \u201cIn vivo comparison of polydioxanone (PDO) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (P4HB) barbed sutures in a rat model.\u201d She presented research comparing a material commonly used in absorbable sutures, PDO, to a novel substance, P4HB, that shows promise as a more durable surgical material. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n She graduated this May as valedictorian with a doctorate in <\/span>Fiber and Polymer Science<\/span><\/a>, and delivered a speech to the graduates and their families.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy personal connection with the college was built up little by little, imperceptibly over time,\u201d she said to the assembled crowd. \u201cEach course I have taken, each faculty and staff member I have talked to, each student I have worked with and taught, they all contributed to my connection with the college.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of these faculty members was <\/span>Dr. Jacqueline Cole<\/span><\/a>, biomedical engineering professor and Cong\u2019s co-advisor. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt has been a great pleasure to mentor Hui over the past several years,\u201d said Cole. \u201cI am proud that she was my first graduate student, and I am very excited to see her graduate. She has grown tremendously both professionally and personally, transforming from a hesitant, self-conscious student into an accomplished, articulate, and highly skilled scientist\/engineer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I work on, it can turn into a product which I can feel, I can see how it works. It\u2019s like you have a dream and that dream can be reachable.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Dr. Martin King<\/span><\/a> has served as Cong\u2019s mentor throughout her years at the Wilson College of Textiles.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe’s very concerned with detail,\u201d he said. \u201cShe wants to make sure everything is very correct and in place and she doesn’t skim over anything. She has been a very successful student because she is able to understand and take care of the details, whether it’s preparing her barbed sutures — making sure they are the right size and dimensions — or whether she’s working with rats in her rat study.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n King described her as hardworking and responsible, illustrated by everyday tasks like navigating traffic. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLast month we went to a conference in Atlanta (and) she drove the van,\u201d he said. \u201cShe was the most responsible driver. She drove with great courtesy and care — and defensively.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cong also holds a master\u2019s degree in <\/span>Textile Engineering<\/span><\/a> and a minor in <\/span>Biomedical Engineering<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>NC State<\/span><\/a>. She earned her bachelor\u2019s degree from Donghua University in Shanghai, where she first heard of King and his <\/span>Bio-Medical Textiles Research Group<\/span><\/a>. She took his class during her first semester as a graduate student at the Wilson College of Textiles, and joined the group soon after. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Dr. King\u2019s research group, we work a lot on the application side,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat I work on, it can turn into a product which I can feel, I can see how it works. It\u2019s like you have a dream and that dream can be reachable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cong played a central role in the research group, serving as a mentor to other students.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe is very much a mother figure,\u201d said King. \u201cShe has so much experience and is so calm and never gets flustered. People feel confident asking her how to do things and she will give them good advice. We will miss her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cong grew up in Weihai, a Chicago-sized metropolis and major seaport on the eastern coast of China. When she was small, her late grandfather used to zip her around the city on his scooter. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wanted to be a taxi driver so I could drive all the time,\u201d she laughed. She never pursued her childhood dream of driving taxis, instead following in her father\u2019s footsteps. A textile engineer, he encouraged her to attend Donghua University, hundreds of miles from home. It was there, and on those long journeys from home to school and back again, that she fell in love with her future husband, P.C. Xing. They have been dating long-distance since then, but on his visit this Valentine\u2019s Day, on the precipice of the Chinese New Year, he proposed in a quiet corner of the WRAL Azalea Gardens — a private moment that was also captured by the television station\u2019s cameras.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n With her doctorate in hand, Cong is moving home to Weihai. Her immediate plan is to secure a position with a medical device company there — but one day, she hopes to return to the Wilson College of Textiles. One of her dreams is to join the faculty here, who she said have encouraged her throughout her studies and pushed her to do better.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. King and my co-advisor in biomedical engineering, Dr. Cole…the achievements I have accomplished so far, they have helped a lot,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n She noted King\u2019s large-format focus on student development and Cole\u2019s eagle eye for details, each equally important to the balancing act of conducting student research. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the most special things about Hui is her kind and generous spirit,\u201d said Cole. \u201cShe is always willing to offer a helping hand, constructive feedback, or an encouraging word to her fellow students…I have enjoyed working with Hui immensely during her graduate studies, and I look forward to seeing her make a positive impact in her career and other endeavors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n On her last day on campus, she left the graduating students with her thoughts about success.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome people are born with extraordinary talents, but most of us are not,\u201d she said. \u201cPlease remember that our personal effort, sweat and tears will lead us to success. The greater the effort we make, the more luck we will gain…You should compare your present situation with the past and compare yourself now with whom you used to be. Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others…I wish you all will become the person you want to be.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n By Cameron Walker<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Hui Cong will soon return to her hometown in China -- but she is leaving behind a body of work that will help make better, longer lasting surgical materials. She has focused her research here at the <\/span>Wilson College of Textiles<\/span><\/a> on barbed sutures -- monofilaments that each look like the thorned stem of a rose -- which eliminate the need for tying knots, thus reducing surgical time and promoting wound healing. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Her years of work on this subject have been truly hands-on. She shadowed plastic surgeon <\/span>Dr. Gregory Ruff<\/span><\/a>, whose barbed suture device was the first to gain <\/span>Food and Drug Administration<\/span><\/a> approval, standing beside him as he conducted several surgeries, including an 8-hour long full-body procedure from eyelid lift to tummy tuck. He taught her suturing, a skill she put to use while conducting animal studies for her research. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cong won Best Oral Presentation Award for the Materials Innovation category at the Wilson College of Textiles Research Open House on April 16 for her presentation, \u201cIn vivo comparison of polydioxanone (PDO) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (P4HB) barbed sutures in a rat model.\u201d She presented research comparing a material commonly used in absorbable sutures, PDO, to a novel substance, P4HB, that shows promise as a more durable surgical material. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n She graduated this May as valedictorian with a doctorate in <\/span>Fiber and Polymer Science<\/span><\/a>, and delivered a speech to the graduates and their families.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy personal connection with the college was built up little by little, imperceptibly over time,\u201d she said to the assembled crowd. \u201cEach course I have taken, each faculty and staff member I have talked to, each student I have worked with and taught, they all contributed to my connection with the college.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of these faculty members was <\/span>Dr. Jacqueline Cole<\/span><\/a>, biomedical engineering professor and Cong\u2019s co-advisor. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt has been a great pleasure to mentor Hui over the past several years,\u201d said Cole. \u201cI am proud that she was my first graduate student, and I am very excited to see her graduate. She has grown tremendously both professionally and personally, transforming from a hesitant, self-conscious student into an accomplished, articulate, and highly skilled scientist\/engineer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n What I work on, it can turn into a product which I can feel, I can see how it works. It\u2019s like you have a dream and that dream can be reachable.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Dr. Martin King<\/span><\/a> has served as Cong\u2019s mentor throughout her years at the Wilson College of Textiles.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe's very concerned with detail,\u201d he said. \u201cShe wants to make sure everything is very correct and in place and she doesn't skim over anything. She has been a very successful student because she is able to understand and take care of the details, whether it's preparing her barbed sutures -- making sure they are the right size and dimensions -- or whether she's working with rats in her rat study.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n King described her as hardworking and responsible, illustrated by everyday tasks like navigating traffic. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLast month we went to a conference in Atlanta (and) she drove the van,\u201d he said. \u201cShe was the most responsible driver. She drove with great courtesy and care -- and defensively.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cong also holds a master\u2019s degree in <\/span>Textile Engineering<\/span><\/a> and a minor in <\/span>Biomedical Engineering<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>NC State<\/span><\/a>. She earned her bachelor\u2019s degree from Donghua University in Shanghai, where she first heard of King and his <\/span>Bio-Medical Textiles Research Group<\/span><\/a>. She took his class during her first semester as a graduate student at the Wilson College of Textiles, and joined the group soon after. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Dr. King\u2019s research group, we work a lot on the application side,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat I work on, it can turn into a product which I can feel, I can see how it works. It\u2019s like you have a dream and that dream can be reachable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cong played a central role in the research group, serving as a mentor to other students.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe is very much a mother figure,\u201d said King. \u201cShe has so much experience and is so calm and never gets flustered. People feel confident asking her how to do things and she will give them good advice. We will miss her.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cong grew up in Weihai, a Chicago-sized metropolis and major seaport on the eastern coast of China. When she was small, her late grandfather used to zip her around the city on his scooter. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wanted to be a taxi driver so I could drive all the time,\u201d she laughed. She never pursued her childhood dream of driving taxis, instead following in her father\u2019s footsteps. A textile engineer, he encouraged her to attend Donghua University, hundreds of miles from home. It was there, and on those long journeys from home to school and back again, that she fell in love with her future husband, P.C. Xing. They have been dating long-distance since then, but on his visit this Valentine\u2019s Day, on the precipice of the Chinese New Year, he proposed in a quiet corner of the WRAL Azalea Gardens -- a private moment that was also captured by the television station\u2019s cameras.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n With her doctorate in hand, Cong is moving home to Weihai. Her immediate plan is to secure a position with a medical device company there -- but one day, she hopes to return to the Wilson College of Textiles. One of her dreams is to join the faculty here, who she said have encouraged her throughout her studies and pushed her to do better.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. King and my co-advisor in biomedical engineering, Dr. Cole...the achievements I have accomplished so far, they have helped a lot,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n She noted King\u2019s large-format focus on student development and Cole\u2019s eagle eye for details, each equally important to the balancing act of conducting student research. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the most special things about Hui is her kind and generous spirit,\u201d said Cole. \u201cShe is always willing to offer a helping hand, constructive feedback, or an encouraging word to her fellow students...I have enjoyed working with Hui immensely during her graduate studies, and I look forward to seeing her make a positive impact in her career and other endeavors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n On her last day on campus, she left the graduating students with her thoughts about success.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome people are born with extraordinary talents, but most of us are not,\u201d she said. \u201cPlease remember that our personal effort, sweat and tears will lead us to success. The greater the effort we make, the more luck we will gain...You should compare your present situation with the past and compare yourself now with whom you used to be. Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others...I wish you all will become the person you want to be.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dr. Hui Cong will soon return to her hometown in China — but she is leaving behind a body of work that will help make better, longer lasting surgical materials. She has focused her research here at the College of Textiles on absorbable barbed sutures — monofilaments that each look like the thorned stem of a rose — which eliminate the need for tying knots, thus reducing surgical time and promoting wound healing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":25043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"caption\":\"\",\"displayCategoryID\":2131}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[490,512,502,479],"tags":[1124,957,1125,712,714,794,1126,1127,1128,715,644,1129,697,960,1130,1131,1132,727,590,964,740],"displayCategory":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"