On December 14th, the HENU Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Translational Medicine Research Institute was officially inaugurated in Shenzhen. The event was attended by over 40 guests, including Xie Huanying from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Cui Daxiang and Zhang Lixin, Vice Presidents of Henan University (HENU), Li Jicheng, Dean of the School of Basic Medical Sciences of HENU, as well as leaders from medical institutions in the Greater Bay Area and representatives from the business community.

At the beginning of the meeting, Xie Huanying and Zhang Lixin delivered speeches in turn. Xie extended warm congratulations on the establishment of the institute. He highlighted the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s support for innovation platforms and collaborative mechanisms to facilitate the transformation of research outcomes. He expressed his hope that the institute would gain a deep understanding of market demands, strengthen talent development, and serve the socio-economic development. Moreover, he also expected the institute to enhance the practicality and conversion rate of research results, address key technological issues, and boost China’s competitiveness in relevant fields.

Zhang Lixin noted that the establishment of the HENU Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Translational Medicine Research Institute was in response to the strategic deployment agreed upon by Lou Yangsheng, Secretary of the Henan Provincial Party Committee, and Huang Kunming, Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, during the Henan-Guangdong Cooperation Conference in May 2023. The institute aims to promote scientific and technological innovation, meet the industrial demands of the nation and local areas, accelerate the transformation and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements, and facilitate the marketization of research outcomes and the conversion into productive forces.

Li Jicheng mentioned that the institute is a medical research institution established in collaboration between HENU and the Greater Bay Area. It will leverage resources such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s platform for the transformation of research outcomes, with the goal of creating an internationally leading platform for biomedical innovation and transformation. Moreover, it will also promote the close integration of clinical and basic research to facilitate cutting-edge R&D and result conversion in medical technology.

During the event, Xie Huanying, Cui Daxiang, Chen Rong, the director of the Science and Technology Innovation Committee of Nanshan District in Shenzhen, and Li Jicheng jointly unveiled the “HENU Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Translational Medicine Research Institute”.

Following the unveiling ceremony, the HENU Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Translational Medicine Research Institute signed strategic cooperation agreements with the Guangdong Translational Medicine Society, Asia Pacific Daily, Beijing Zhongwang Xinxing Technology Development Co., Ltd., and Guoda Medical (Guangdong) Co., Ltd.

The institute has established seven major research and development platforms, including the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, the Tumor Immunotherapy Research Center, and the Synthetic Biology Research and Development Center. It operates under a PI responsibility system management structure. Academician Chen Hongyuan, a professor of Nanjing University and Honorary President of the Guangdong Translational Medicine Society, serves as the director of the institute’s academic committee, while Professor Li Jicheng is the institute’s director.