The Francis Crick Symposium–Transforming Neurosciences: Questions & Experiments was held in Suzhou from May 8 to 12, as one of Cold Spring Harbor Asia (CSH Asia) meetings. More than 10 top Chinese and foreign researchers, including Nobel Prize winners Edvard Moser and John O'Keefe, participated in a series of academic discussions.

CSH Asia is the only overseas branch of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) headquartered in the United States. CSHL is a private non-profit institution committed to research on cutting-edge sciences, such as molecular genetics, cancers, neurosciences and bioinformatics. It plays an important role in the global development of life science. Known as the "cradle of molecular biology", it ranks first among top 10 most influential research institutes in the world.

The life science center was jointly developed by CSHL and SIP in the Asia-Pacific region. Embracing CSHL's unique academic culture, the Asia arm aims at taking advantage of its parent institution's broad academic network as well as Suzhou's rich historical and cultural deposits and excellent geographical location to develop an international life science forum encompassing both historical and modern cultures interlaced with global expertise.

During the symposium, SIP elaborately designed eight theme activities, apart from the academic events, to show the charm of Suzhou. For example, the participants learnt how to make Suzhou-style folding fans and enjoyed the Pingtan show, a kind of storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect. Exhibition areas were set up to demonstrate Suzhou culture and SIP's achievements.