Visiting Scholars Program

China Pharmaceutical University (CPU)

The College of Pharmacy and China Pharmaceutical University (CPU) have an agreement to host visiting scholars from CPU with faculty at the University of Minnesota. The following faculty members have agreed to host (senior) graduate students, postdocs or faculty as long as the CPU scholars have experience in the faculty member’s area of expertise. Approval by CPU is mandatory prior to being accepted as a visiting scholar. 

Courtney Aldrich, Department of Medicinal Chemistry - infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, diagnostics, antibiotics, antivirals and antifungals

Gunda Georg, Department of Medicinal Chemistry - medicinal chemistry of cancer and contraception

Amanda Klein, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences - chronic pain, opioid signaling, mechanisms of opioid tolerance and withdrawal

Hongbo Pang, Department of Pharmaceutics - nanomedicine, molecular and cell biology, medical or clinical practice, neuroscience, immunology, metabolic disorders

Thomas Shier, Department of Medicinal Chemistry - antibiotic drug discovery and production platforms

Calvin Sun, Department of Pharmaceutics - physical pharmacy

Natalia Tretyakova, Department of Medicinal Chemistry – senior researcher preferred in organic synthesis, HPLC, Mass spectrometry, chemical biology, or DNA sequencing/epigenetics


If you are eligible to be a visiting scholar, here are the steps:

  1. Contact the faculty member listed about your interest in being a visiting scholar. 

  2. Make an agreement about your research with the faculty member. Make sure they are in contact with Kirsten Bagniefski about your visit.  

  3. Contact UMN International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) about being a J-1 Exchange Visitor: https://isss.umn.edu/Departments/Jvisa.html

  4. Review and complete the required paperwork listed on the ISSS site: https://isss.umn.edu/forms/j1forms.html

  5. Make final arrangements with your UMN faculty partner. The faculty confirms acceptance and Kirsten Bagniefski will contact your with VISA application information. If you have questions about the Visa process, contact Julie Halfen, J Visa Document Coordinator, about your J Visa application. half0040@umn.edu: https://isss.umn.edu/office/staffinfo/Julie-Halfen.html

  6. Work ISSS, China Center about travel and accomodations.