2025 Doctoral Academic Forum of Tianjin University--17th Sub-session of SPST was held successfully on October 23-24. This is a part of activities to commemorate the 25th anniversary of SPST, TJU.
01 Opening ceremony and expert report
The "Tianjin University Doctoral Forum ——17th Pharmacy Sub-forum" hosted by the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Tianjin University, was grandly opened in the lecture hall on the second floor of the Science Library at the Weijin Road Campus at 9:00 a.m. on October 23, 2025. The forum invited Professor Chen Ligong, Associate Dean of the School of Pharmacy at Tsinghua University; Professor Zhang Lei, Director of the Engineering Department of the School of Synthetic Biology and Bio-manufacturing at Tianjin University, and Dr. Zhao Jing, General Manager of the Tianjin Region of BGI Group to give a keynote speech. TJU supervision experts —— Professor Ma Youguang from the School of Chemical Engineering and Professor Gong Yanhua from the School of Health Emergency —— were present to provide guidance. Liu Xiuyun, Dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, along with other faculty members, and postgraduate students participated together. The forum started in a strong academic atmosphere.
First, Liu Xiuyun, Dean of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the School of Medicine, delivered the opening remarks for the forum. She said this year marks the 130th anniversary of Tianjin University and the 25th anniversary of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which holds special significance for all faculty and students. The letter from General Secretary Xi Jinping to all teachers and students of Tianjin University expresses earnest expectations for scientific research and talent cultivation. She emphasized that scientific research should be "ambitious and grounded"—not only focusing on cutting-edge issues but also excelling in new drug development and clinical translation. The school will align with the nation's major strategic needs, strive for innovation in teaching and research, and work hard to make contributions in breakthroughs in fundamental and frontier technologies, as well as the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Today, the forum provides an excellent academic exchange platform for teachers and students, which is a concrete action by the pharmaceutical community at Tianjin University to fulfill the General Secretary's earnest instructions. Finally, she thanked the teachers who have long supported and guided the doctoral forum, expressed hope that the students would continue to make progress and achieve greater results through guidance and exchange, and extended her best wishes for the success of this forum.
In addition, Professor Zhang Lei delivered a presentation titled “Artificial Design of Cryoprotective Proteins and Their Applications in Biomedical Fields”. The presentation focused on core challenges in cryopreservation, such as cellular damage, difficulties in cryopreserving large-volume organs, and toxicity issues associated with traditional cryoprotectants. Professor Zhang Lei's team conducted in-depth research on the structure and function of cryoprotective proteins, elucidating the relationship between their repetitive sequences and ice crystal binding sites. They developed a proprietary algorithm to achieve rational design and optimization of cryoprotective proteins. These achievements have been successfully applied to cryopreservation of large-volume blood, significantly enhancing cell viability in cell therapy, and overcoming technical hurdles in cryopreservation of small-sized organs, providing novel material solutions for biomedical cryopreservation technologies.
Professor Chen Ligong delivered a presentation titled “Metabolic Regulation and Drug Target Discovery Based on SLC Transporters,” systematically detailing the team's latest breakthroughs in two frontier areas: “SLC-mediated metabolic reprogramming” and “rational targeting of transporters.” This work has opened intervention windows for autoimmune diseases and vaccine enhancement, completed drug-target assessments for over 30 SLCs with clear animal phenotypes and disease associations, and established a translational pathway from mechanism discovery to preclinical candidates. The report expresses the core scientific concept that “transporters are metabolic gatekeepers,” leading targeted therapies for complex diseases like glycometabolic disorders, immune dysregulation, and tumors into a new era.
Dr. Zhao Jing delivered a report titled “Spatio-Temporal Omics and Medical Applications,” systematically presenting the team's latest breakthroughs in cutting-edge fields including spatiotemporal omics technologies, brain science and tumor research, and drug-microbiome interactions. The research highlighted a revolutionary, independently developed spatiotemporal omics technology that resolves long-standing challenges in Cellular unbiased research in oligosaccharide synthesis and the observation of organ developmental regulation mechanisms. The presentation also showcased key advances in exploring neuron regeneration switches in the brain, studying precision tumor diagnosis mechanisms, analyzing bidirectional interactions between drugs and gut microbiota, and establishing relevant alliances (Brain Science Alliance, Traditional Chinese Medicine Alliance). These achievements provide a robust scientific foundation for advancing medical health and biological research. The report mentioned ultimately that mechanism-based multi-omics research will continue to deeply integrate artificial intelligence and big data, advance initiatives like the International Spatiotemporal Alliance, and lead medical multi-omics research into a new phase of development.
02 PhD Oral Presentation
On the afternoon of the 23rd and the morning of the 24th, the Doctoral Forum established five parallel sessions. Doctoral candidates from disciplines including biology, pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical analysis, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, and health administration and pharmaceutical affairs delivered specialised academic presentations organised by research focus. Presentations were conducted entirely in English, with doctoral candidates systematically showcasing their research content and progress before addressing questions from the judging panel. The panel offered professional and in-depth guidance across multiple dimensions, encompassing research methodology, experimental design, and presentation techniques.
03 MS Poster Presentation
At 13:00 on the 24th, the Master's Posters Session took place on the second floor of Teaching Building 24. Students presented detailed accounts of their research progress and academic achievements to the judging panel at their respective display stations. The judges engaged in in-depth face-to-face discussions with participating students, offering professional guidance and constructive feedback on their research work.
04 Closing Ceremony
At 4:00 p.m. on the 24th, the closing ceremony and awarding ceremony of the Doctoral Forum was successfully held in Classroom 205, Building 24. Associate Dean Peter Robert Taylor, Vice Party Secretary Li Nan, and Associate Dean Mu Xin attended the event. On behalf of the school, Peter delivered a summary speech. He stated that the doctoral forum has provided students with an excellent academic exchange platform, effectively promoting interaction between faculty and students, and broadening their academic horizons. He highly praised the achievements made by graduate students in their scientific research and sincerely thanked the students who had volunteered in organizing the forum. During the awarding session, three professors jointly presented certificates to the winners of this forum, including 12 PhD students, 27 MS students, and 19 students who won the microscopy photography competition.
