The Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM) was inaugurated on May 8, 2019, through a collaborative agreement between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Zhejiang Provincial Government. It was initially named the “Institute of Cancer and Basic Medical Sciences.” Driven by the basic sciences and technology, HIMCAS views molecular medicine as the key to solving fundamental problems at the physical, chemical, engineering and biological interface.
The founding director of HIM, Prof. TAN Weihong, a CAS academician, is a renowned scientist in molecular medicine. He pioneered aptamer research and its clinical applications, and is a distinguished scholar in nucleic acid chemistry and molecular medicine. One-third of HIM’s scientific workforce has been globally recruited from national talent programs, and half has been recruited from provincial talent initiatives, highlighting the Institute’s commitment to excellence in human resources and innovation in science and technology for medicine.
In 2021, HIM established a nationally recognized independent research center for postdoctoral studies, attracting more than 150 postdoctoral researchers annually. Graduate Student training was accomplished through collaboration with such prestigious institutions as the University of Science and Technology of China, Tianjin University, Hunan University and the University of Macau. These collaborations jointly trained nearly 500 doctoral and master’s students. Furthermore, operating as a unit of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, HIM has secured doctoral and master’s degree programs in pharmacy, biology and medicine, further strengthening its educational and research capabilities.
Driven by its commitment to basic science for medicine over the last five years, HIM has made remarkable progress in addressing clinical problems through interdisciplinary integration. Its endeavors in research and development have yielded impressive results. To date, it has spearheaded 15 National Key R&D Projects and undertaken 175 national, provincial, and cross-sector projects.
Among its major achievements is the development of the world’s first nucleic acid aptamer-based imaging agent to enter clinical trials. Termed nucleic acid aptamer contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals, these reagents specifically detect overlooked microlesions and effectively “illuminate” tumors within the human body. Additionally, the Institute has mapped China’s largest-scale protein molecular atlas of single cells for triple-negative breast cancer, proposing a new classification scheme for this challenging type of cancer.
Through its close partnerships with medical schools, research institutes, and hospitals, HIM is committed to translational research aimed at addressing real-world medical problems. Moreover, as an integral part of CAS, self-described as “the National Academy for Natural Sciences and the highest consultancy for science and technology of the People’s Republic of China,” the founding of HIM signals a consensus on organized efforts to use scientific advancements to solve real-world medical problems.
