Publisher: the School of Medicine  

Date: December 3, 2024

On November 25, 2024, the inaugural academic committee meeting of the Key Laboratory of Virus Pathogenesis and Prevention and Control under the Ministry of Education was successfully held at Jinan University. The meeting took place in Conference Room 729 of the university's administrative building and was conducted in a hybrid format, accommodating both in-person and online participants. 

(At the meeting)

(Academician Zhong Nanshan leads the online meeting.)

Academician Zhong Nanshan, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and recipient of the Republic Medal, chaired the meeting via video conference. Other key attendees included Vice Chairman Professor Guan Yi, Professor Ye Wenchai, members of the academic committee, and core members of the laboratory. Zhang Ronghua, Vice President of Jinan University, was also present and provided opening remarks.

In his speech, Zhang emphasized the importance of cultivating key laboratories in advancing Jinan University's goals of becoming a double first-class institution and enhancing its reputation as a high-level university. He noted that the development of key laboratories is crucial to fostering interdisciplinary research within the biomedical field and nurturing new academic growth areas. To support these efforts, the university is committed to providing comprehensive support, including human, financial, and material resources. During the meeting, Zhang also presented appointment letters to academic committee members.

Professor Niu Haitao, Director of the Key Laboratory, presented an annual work summary highlighting the laboratory’s construction background, goals, organizational structure, recent achievements, and future project initiatives.

In his concluding remarks, Academician Zhong acknowledged the key laboratory's significant progress in high-level research, talent development, academic exchanges, and community service. He praised the laboratory’s integration of fundamental research on viral diseases with clinical applications, calling it essential for establishing a comprehensive virus prevention and control system. Zhong urged the laboratory to leverage Jinan University’s unique strengths in its research endeavors and to enhance collaboration with prestigious institutions like the Guangzhou National Laboratory, aiming for breakthroughs in applying scientific and technological innovations.

Finally, Niu Haitao expressed gratitude to the committee's experts for their insightful guidance, reaffirming the laboratory's commitment to strategic planning for medium-and long-term development. He affirmed that the laboratory would accelerate its construction efforts and continuously enhance its capabilities in scientific innovation and achievement transformation to ensure high-quality development.