On the morning of May 28, a delegation led by Professor Yun Kwok Wing from the Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, together with Vice President Jihui Zhang and expert team from the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, visited the Minhang Campus of Shanghai Mental Health Center to launch an in-depth academic symposium. Representatives of the three parties exchanged the latest research and clinical progress covering multiple disciplines, including geriatric psychiatry, artificial intelligence in mental health, sleep and circadian rhythms, neuromodulation techniques, basic neuroscience and clinical transformation, and conducted joint discussions on cutting-edge challenges in psychiatry.
At the beginning of the meeting, President Min Zhao delivered the welcome remarks. President Zhao noted that Hong Kong has a mental health service system and advanced clinical concepts that are well aligned with international standards, while the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University also has a strong and long-standing foundation in both clinical practice and scientific research. She expressed the hope that this exchange would enable all parties to draw on one another’s strengths and, in the future, establish a regular and in-depth mechanism for collaboration in clinical care, research, education, and talent development. Vice President Zhen Wang provided a comprehensive overview of Shanghai Mental Health Center, including its history and development, institutional profile, clinical service system, talent pipeline, achievements in research and education, international exchange and collaboration network, progress in digital transformation and smart hospital initiatives, as well as its future strategic priorities. The presentation offered a comprehensive showcase of the Center’s overall capabilities and innovative dynamism in mental health.
Professor Yun Kwok Wing of The Chinese University of Hong Kong expressed his gratitude to Shanghai Mental Health Center for its warm hospitality and spoke highly of the Center’s progress and achievements in the field of psychiatry. Vice President Jihui Zhang of the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University noted that Guangzhou and Shanghai have long maintained a strong foundation for exchange in the field of mental health. He stated that this visit would further promote collaboration between the two institutions in areas such as clinical research, professional exchange, and talent development.
Thematic Research Exchange
Expert teams from Shanghai Mental Health Center presented their recent clinical and research work. Dr. Xia Li, Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry, introduced the department’s clinical and research system in geriatric psychiatry, covering the diagnosis and treatment of complex and critically ill cases, referral and consultation mechanisms for acute and severe cases, multidisciplinary collaboration models, training and support for primary-level healthcare institutions, as well as the development of geriatric cohorts. Dr. Chengmei Yuan, Deputy Director of the Department of Clinical Psychology, shared the Center’s experience in the clinical application and dissemination of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, or CBT-I, including standardized treatment protocols and digital intervention pathways. Dr. Weimin Yang, Director of the Department of Science and Education, presented the hospital’s research development strategy, disciplinary development framework, research platform development, large-scale cohort studies, and, in particular, the development of artificial intelligence applications and the introduction of emerging technologies. Dr. Jijun Wang, Director of the EEG and Neurophysiology Laboratory, introduced the non-invasive treatment technologies of the Neuromodulation Center, including the historical development of electroconvulsive therapy and related neuromodulation approaches, recent disciplinary advances, and the application of new technologies.
Professor Yun Kwok Wing introduced the organizational structure of his Faculty and the Department of Psychiatry, artificial intelligence research projects, the CUHK–Hospital Authority collaborative network, and collaborative research and teaching activities across countries, regions, and institutions. Members of his team presented their work on clinical translational research into the gut microbiome in autism spectrum disorder, advances in insomnia interventions and mental health promotion, applications of multimodal artificial intelligence in mental health, the construction of a multimodal atlas of REM sleep behavior disorder, or RBD, based on omics, neuroimaging, and digital biomarkers, as well as the research and development of AI-related mobile applications. Dr. Yaping Liu from the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University introduced the development history, current research profile, and academic achievements of the Sleep and Circadian Medicine Center team. Scholars from all parties engaged in in-depth discussions on frontier issues in psychiatry, exchanging regional experiences and exploratory directions regarding diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, biomarker research in psychiatric disorders, clinical implementation of artificial intelligence technologies, and establishment of cross-institutional collaboration mechanisms.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participating experts continued their discussions on scientific questions of common interest, multicenter data sharing, young investigator development, and international research collaboration. This exchange deepened mutual understanding among Shanghai Mental Health Center, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, laying a solid foundation for the development of a stable, effective, and long-term collaborative partnership.
