On July 19, 2023, Ms. Wendy O’Neill, Chair of China Medical Board (CMB), Dr. Roger Glass, the new President of CMB, led a delegation to visit PUMCH. PUMCH President Zhang Shuyang and Vice President Du Bin attended the meeting, and Vice President Wu Peixin extended a warm welcome to the guests. The two sides had an in-depth discussion on how to break new ground now that their partnership has come to a new starting point. This exchange has injected new impetus for PUMCH and CMB to continue their century-long friendship and to carry out extensive medical collaboration under the new circumstances.

▲Group picture of CMB guests and PUMCH leaders at the western gate of the Old Building Cluster of PUMCH, from left to right: PUMCH Vice President Du Bin, CMB Board Member Keiji Fukuda, CMB Senior Advisor Barbara Stoll, PUMCH President Zhang Shuyang, CMB Chair Wendy O’Neill, CMB President Roger Glass, PUMCH Vice President Wu Peixin and CMB Chief Representative in Beijing Li Wenkai

In 1921, funded by the Rockefeller-endowed CMB, PUMCH completed all the building construction. Thus opened the door of friendship between CMB and PUMCH. Since entering the new era, the two sides have worked more closely together, signing an MoU in 2016 that fully kicked off the five-year collaboration plan, followed by the opening of the CMB Beijing Office in PUMCH. In 2021, the two sides signed a new MoU on the 100th-day countdown of the 100th anniversary of PUMCH. This trip is the first visit to PUMCH for Mr. Glass since he was newly elected President this year, and he remarked “we are old friends, more like family!”

▲The site of the meeting

▲President Zhang Shuyang delivered remarks

At the meeting, President Zhang Shuyang first welcomed Ms. Wendy and Dr. Glass and other delegation members, expressed her gratitude to CMB for its long-term support and help to PUMCH, and congratulated Dr. Glass on his being elected as the new president of CMB. She also reviewed the fruits of collaboration between the two sides in medical education, talent cultivation and scientific research in recent years. President Zhang Shuyang pointed out the need for both sides to continue to broaden, deepen and upgrade collaboration for their shared mission of promoting health and contributing more to the development of medicine.

▲CMB Chair Wendy O’Neill and CMB President Roger Glass

▲CMB Senior Advisor Barbara Stoll and CMB Board Member Keiji Fukuda

During the exchanges, the CMB delegation fully recognized the achievements of PUMCH in the past 100 years and praised the PUMCH colleagues for carrying out the most cutting-edge explorations in clinical practices, medical education and scientific research. The achievements of the hospital in various fields “have been internationally leading” and “are the perfect case in point about the never-ceasing spirit of PUMCH honed over a century”. The delegation also expressed the expectation to continue the ties between CMB and PUMCH, which are “more than friends, just like family”, and extensive and professional collaboration in clinical practices, medical education and scientific research that ushers in a brighter future.

▲The CMB delegation visited the Medical Records Exhibition, Hospital History Museum and Translational Medicine Complex

The CMB delegation visited the Medical Records Exhibition and the Hospital History Museum. They then went to the Translational Medicine Complex, where they took a closer look at the Phase I clinical trial wards, the hybrid operating room, as well as the virtual human platform, biospecimen platform and cell biology core facility, and had in-depth exchanges with the personnel in charge of the platforms. Chen Limeng, Director of the Department of Nephrology, Li Yue, Director of the Department of Education, and Liu Yuxia, Deputy Director of the Department of Scientific Research, briefed the attendees about the progress of research on the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, the history of the cooperation between the two sides, and the National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding respectively.

▲Chen Limeng, Li Yue and Liu Yuxia briefed the attendees about rare disease research, education cooperation and the national funding

▲Exchange of souvenirs after the meeting

Written by Chen Xiao and Shang Huiyi

Reviewed by the International Collaboration Office

Photographed by Sun Liang

Edited by Xiao Xiong