First Academic Committee Meeting of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Translational Research for Brain Diseases Successfully Held

On June 10, 2025, the inaugural meeting of the first Academic Committee of the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery and Translational Research for Brain Diseases—jointly established by Soochow University and Nanjing Luye Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.—was held in Suzhou. The meeting was attended by renowned experts, including Academician Wang Yizheng from Fudan University, Professor Li Xiaoming from Zhejiang University, Professor Lü Wanliang from Peking University, Professor Sun Jinpeng from Shandong University, Professor Wu Shengxi from Air Force Medical University, and Professor Zhang Zhi from Anhui Medical University.

Vice President Zhang Zhengbiao delivered an opening speech on behalf of the university. He expressed gratitude to the attending experts and provided an overview of Soochow University’s development, particularly in pharmaceutical sciences. He highly affirmed the significance of the laboratory’s establishment, noting that it not only marks a solid step forward in interdisciplinary brain science and biopharmaceutical research but also provides new momentum for Jiangsu Province in building a globally influential hub for biopharmaceutical innovation. He emphasized that the laboratory should focus on demand-driven research to address challenges in brain disease prevention and treatment, deepen collaborative innovation to foster an open and shared ecosystem, and strengthen its mission to contribute to the "Healthy China" initiative.

Secretary Wang Xin stated in his address that Soochow Medical College would fully support the laboratory’s development by providing resources in talent, platforms, and policies. He urged the laboratory to adhere strictly to its objectives, ensuring that tasks are clearly assigned to projects and researchers to guarantee successful completion.

Secretary Xu Xiaole announced the appointment list of the Academic Committee. Academician Wang Yizheng from Fudan University and Academician Yue Jianmin from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, were appointed as co-chairs, while Professor Chen Zhong from Zhejiang Chinese Medical University and Professor Hu Zhibin from Nanjing Medical University were appointed as vice-chairs. Eleven other experts, including Sun Jinpeng, Sun Yangang, Lü Wanliang, Li Xiaoming, Yang Qingwu, Yang Yong, Zhang Yonghui, Zhang Zhi, and Wu Shengxi, were appointed as committee members. Vice President Zhang Zhengbiao presented appointment letters to the co-chairs, while Professor Tao Jin, Dean of the School of Basic Medicine and Director of the Laboratory, and Professor Zhen Xuechu, Chief Scientist of the Laboratory, issued appointment letters to the committee members.

During the meeting, Professor Tao Jin, Director of the Laboratory, reported on the laboratory’s restructuring and development, detailing its background, research directions, foundational research, talent and team building, management model, and future plans. The experts provided feedback, unanimously recognizing the laboratory’s strong resource allocation, team foundation, and well-designed strategies in management, operation, and incentive mechanisms. They also offered suggestions, urging the laboratory to break down tasks according to the project plan, further integrate clinical resources to bridge basic research and clinical applications, and refine distinctive research focuses or disease models to drive organized scientific breakthroughs. Cross-disciplinary collaboration was encouraged to cultivate the laboratory’s unique strengths. On behalf of the laboratory, Professor Tao Jin expressed gratitude for the experts’ guidance and pledged to carefully implement their suggestions, ensuring high-quality completion of the laboratory’s objectives in accordance with the project plan.