UM, Tsinghua University jointly hold workshop on traditional Chinese medicine and immunology research

The University of Macau (UM) and Tsinghua University jointly held a week-long Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immunology Research Workshop. Led by Director Chen Xin, Associate Professor Lu Jiahong, and Assistant Professor Chou Chon Kit at the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) of the University of Macau (UM), 12 UM students engaged in academic exchanges with students and faculty at Tsinghua University and discussed the direction of future cooperation.

UM students and faculty were warmly welcomed by Professors Xu Xiaoyu and Shi Yan, and Associate Professors Zeng Wenwen, Guo Xiaohuan, and Liu Zhihua in the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University. The two parties gave an overview of their respective faculty, teaching quality, research platforms and research direction. They also held the Seminar on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Natural Products and Immunology, laying the foundation for further collaboration between the two universities in the field of traditional Chinese medicine and immunology.

In addition, Professors Chen, Lu, and Chou were invited to share their research findings on the effects of traditional Chinese medicine on the immune and nervous systems. Among them, Prof Chen shared the discovery process of a new immune regulation target inspired by the traditional Chinese medicine theory in the Huangdi Neijing. The three UM professors also served as examiners for the final examination of the course ‘Critical Thinking in Immunology’, which is part of the doctoral programme offered by the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University.

During the workshop, PhD students from both universities shared their research progress and attended special courses such as ‘The Power of Vaccines’, ‘Frontier Biomedical Sciences’, and ‘Introduction to Basic Medicine and Diseases’. UM students and faculty also visited Changping Laboratory and biotechnology companies such as SineuGene and BriSTAR Immunotech to gain deeper insights into cutting-edge technologies in the field of medicine and health.

The workshop was organised by the Department of Basic Medical Sciences of the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University under the guidance of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs at Tsinghua University. Themed ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immunology’, the workshop featured field studies, talks by experts, and group discussions. It also received support from the Ten Thousand Talents Program 2023, which was launched by the Ministry of Education to foster exchange programmes between mainland and Hong Kong/Macao students.

Moreover, the delegation from ICMS visited the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Peking University. They held in-depth discussions with Dean Ye Min, Vice Deans Huang Zhuo and Wang Yiguang, as well as their team on potential research collaboration and the joint training of pharmacology professionals.