Mrs O'Connor, a registered nurse, is returning to China this month for a three-month stay to consolidate the knowledge she gained in ulcers, burns and skin grafting.
For the past few years, she has been intrigued about a product called Mebo (moist exposed burn ointment) which stimulates cell regeneration and aids the body's natural healing.
She will visit the Mebo company in Beijing and then return to the Affiliated Hospital of the Taishan Medical University, south of Beijing, where she was the first person from outside China to work.
She was excited about returning to the hospital, furthering her knowledge - including looking at radiation burns specifically for cancer patients - and catching up with the friends she made on her last visit.
The Mebo International Group has also asked Mrs O'Connor to present a paper at the 10th Chinese congress of burns, wounds and ulcers regenerative medicine in Ya'an, as one of five special topic presenters.
She will be speaking alongside Dr Bishara Atiyeh from Lebanon, whose paper she started reading in 2004 got her interested in the treatment.
It is the first time foreigners have been invited to the congress and she will have to make her presentation with the aid of an interpreter. She has also been asked to contribute to a book on burns treatments.
Since her last trip to China, Mrs O'Connor has done about 14 speaking engagements in New Zealand.
