Prof. Aiping Lu (Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine and Director of IBTS) visited Guanghua Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine on March 29, 2013. Prof. Lu discussed with Prof. Lianbo Xiao (President of Guanghua Hospital), Prof. Dongyi He (Vice-President of Guanghua Hospital) and other members about establishing national biobank of arthritis with efforts of Guanghua Hospital, School of Chinese Medicine and Institute of Integrated Bioinformedicine and Translational Science, Hong Kong Baptist University.

Prof. Xiao pointed out that Guanghua Hospital had abundant of arthritis patients. With standardization development, it was hopeful to set up an international Specimen Bank in China. Prof. Lu said that biobank would help scientists to investigate the etiology, progression and mechanism of human arthritis. Large amount of samples would accelerate research progress.

Shanghai Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Integrative Medicine Institute of Arthritis was prepared to construct since April, 2010 and certified by academic committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine on December, 2012. Prof. Lu was approved as the institute leader by Shanghai Health and Family Planning committee. The ceremony for institute establishment will be held on May 2, 2013.

The establishment of the institute will strengthen Guanghua Hospital in scientific research on arthritis and make foundation on HKBU Guanghua Translational Medicine Hospital.

Prof. Dongyi He (left) and Prof. Aiping Lu (right) under detail discussion

about establishment of biobank and hospital