Wang Cunyu, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has been appointed as the director of the Peking University Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine.

According to the news from Peking University Health Science Center, on December 18, the Peking University Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine held the “Moral Integrity and Path of Excellence: High-Quality Development Forum” to celebrate the first anniversary of its establishment.

The report mentioned that several prominent leaders attended the meeting, including Han Qide, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, former vice chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and honorary chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology; Qiao Jie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, executive vice president of Peking University, director of the Health Science Center, and the first president and chairman of the academic committee of the Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine; Wang Cunyu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and president of the Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine; and Dong Erdan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, director of the National Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis, and director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Peking University.

In his brief and pragmatic speech, the newly appointed president, Academician Wang Cunyu, expressed his honor and the significant responsibility of returning to his alma mater to lead the development of the Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine. He stated that he would guide the team to focus on clinical needs, leverage the unique advantages of interdisciplinary collaboration, bridge basic research and clinical application, and strive to make the Institute a significant force in global medical innovation.

The report indicated that Wang Cunyu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a member of the National Academy of Medicine in the United States, has officially taken on the role of president of the Peking University Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine.

Wang Cunyu was born in 1963 in Xinghua City, Jiangsu Province. He previously served as the associate dean of the School of Dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), chair of the Department of Oral Biology and Medicine, and a distinguished professor. He is also a professor at the UCLA School of Engineering and a member of the Tumor Research Institute and the Stem Cell Research Center.

Wang Cunyu has made innovative research achievements in the fields of molecular signaling, oral medicine, and translational medicine. His theory on the regulation of cancer cell death and drug resistance by the NF-KB transcription factor is considered a milestone and has guided clinical trials for cancer treatment. He has also conducted a series of original studies on the growth and metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, discovered the molecular mechanisms of suppressed bone formation in chronic inflammation and bone metabolic diseases, as well as tumor bone metastasis, and was the first to identify the epigenetic regulation of adult stem cell function and fate by three histone methyltransferases.

Wang Cunyu has published over 110 papers in internationally influential academic journals and has received more than ten awards, including the Outstanding Award from the National Institutes of Health and the Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Association for Dental Research. In 2011, he became the first scholar from mainland China to be elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2013, he was elected as a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The National Natural Science Foundation of China has commented that Wang Cunyu has achieved internationally recognized results in the fields of drug resistance mechanisms in tumor cells, the pathogenesis of head and neck tumors, inflammation and infection, as well as basic and translational research in bone, stem cells, and regenerative medicine, providing many insightful opinions and suggestions for the basic research of medical science in China and the management of scientific funds.

The Peking University Institute of Advanced Clinical Medicine (hereinafter referred to as “the Institute”) was officially established on August 15, 2023, as an independent research entity of Peking University. The establishment of the Institute is an important measure for Peking University to respond to national strategic needs and promote innovation in medical technology. The Institute aims to become a world-class comprehensive clinical technology innovation hub that integrates “technology research and development, achievement transformation, clinical application, and talent cultivation.” It will strengthen top-level design and coordinated management of medical education and research, build a multidisciplinary research system oriented towards clinical needs, conduct high-level clinical and basic research, promote innovation in medical research models, facilitate the transformation and application of cutting-edge technological achievements, and contribute to the construction of a self-reliant and innovative system for medical technology in the country.