UM holds Macau Symposium on Biomedical Sciences

On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, the University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) kicked off the Ninth Macau Symposium on Biomedical Sciences today (15 June). Over 400 biomedical experts, researchers, and students from around the world will participate in the four-day event, which will involve both virtual and in-person elements and feature nearly 80 talks with the theme ‘health’ on cutting-edge research and innovative technology in biomedical sciences. 

UM Rector Yonghua Song delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. According to him, positioning itself as a university rooted in Macao, UM will continue to take part in the development of the Greater Bay Area, integrate into national development, and reach out to the world by leverage its strengths and characteristics in talent development, research, and internationalisation. Over the past decade, FHS has grown tremendously and attained outstanding achievements in both teaching and research. UM is currently among the top 1% in Essential Science Indicators rankings in several disciplines of health sciences. In addition, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, UM established the first Frontiers Science Center in Hong Kong and Macao — Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology. Led by teams in FHS, the centre has successfully achieved many breakthroughs in research.

In his speech, Cheang Kun Wai, acting president of the Administrative Committee of the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT), said that UM has been actively conducting unique, high-quality, and influential research and interdisciplinary studies in line with the development needs of Macao and the Greater Bay Area, particularly in the field of health sciences. As the principle unit, FHS since its establishment in 2013 has initiated over 130 projects related to health sciences and funded by FDCT. Amongst them are Macao Key R&D Projects that have achieved outstanding results in the areas of precision oncology and stem cell research. 

Chuxia Deng, dean of FHS, said that the faculty has been dedicated to exploring new frontiers in health sciences with the tremendous support of the local community, and has produced many groundbreaking results over the past decade, adding that the results have received consideration attention and recognitions from academia and industry. According to him, members of FHS will continue to collaborate with experts and scholars in biomedical sciences around the world to bring about new research results. Through the symposium, he aims to provide a platform for researchers and academics worldwide to have in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics in biomedical sciences, which is expected to encourage them to work together and promote industry-academia collaboration.

The symposium includes ten keynote lectures and about 70 session talks delivered by experts from home and abroad. They cover topics such as cancer immunology, personalised cancer therapy, tumour microenvironment and metastasis, metabolism, signaling networks and therapy, developmental induction, stem cells, infectious diseases, genome editing, and new technologies. In addition, this year’s event displays more than 140 outstanding posters. Upon professional evaluation by the Poster Review Committee, 12 young scholars will be selected to receive the Best Poster Award.

Since its inception in 2014, the Macau Symposium on Biomedical Sciences has been dedicated to providing an academic platform for experts and scholars in biomedical sciences to enhance research collaboration and promote the innovative development of biomedical sciences. Other guests who attended the opening ceremony of this year’s event included Peng Xiangyang, deputy division chief of the economics department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Cheong Chok Man, director of the Policy Research and Regional Development Bureau; Xie Xuebing, vice director of Kiang Wu Hospital; Chao Chong Hang, secretary-general of Talents Development Committee; Lei Chi Ieong, head of the Department of Registration of the Pharmaceutical Administration Bureau; Fong Ka Kin, head of the Division of Tertiary Educational Cooperation of the Education and Youth Development Bureau; Tang Kwong Yui, chief physician in the Health Bureau and Conde S Januário Hospital; Lam Oi Ching, associate dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports at Macao Polytechnic University; Chong Hong Heng, president of the Macau Association of Precision Medicine; Chan Wai Sin, president of the Macau Orthopaedic Association; representatives of various secondary schools in Macao, as well as representatives of UM, including Ge Wei and Xu Jian, vice rectors of UM; Wang Chuang, dean of the Faculty of Education; and Paul Pang, dean of students.