From December 5 to 22, 2025, the “Biomedicine” Summer School, co-sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the University of Ottawa, Canada (uOttawa), and organized by the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM), was successfully held in Shanghai. As one of the key activities celebrating the 20th anniversary of CAS-uOttawa cooperation in 2025, the event gathered professors, experts, and young scholars from SIMM, uOttawa, and other internationally renowned universities. The school systematically introduced core technologies and the latest advancements in proteomics, precision medicine, drug target discovery, and other fields, fostering international collaboration and cultivating future scientists with both research acumen and global vision.

The activity built upon the resources and experience accumulated through years of scientific research collaboration between SIMM and uOttawa. The program was systematic and multi-dimensional, featuring three distinctive modules: cutting-edge academic courses and seminars, immersive scientific research experiments and platform training, and cross-cultural integration and social engagement.

On December 15, the highlight event - the “Symposium on Multi-Omics & Drug Discovery” took place in the Yisheng Hall of SIMM. Prof. Hu Zhou presided over the meeting, and Deputy Director Bing Zhou delivered a speech. During the symposium, Deputy Director Bing Zhou, Prof. Caiguang Yang, and Prof. Beili Wu presented Visiting Researcher Certificates to three international experts, underscoring the commitment of both parties to further strengthen long-term collaboration. Five experts - Prof. Alain C. Stintzi, Prof. Beili Wu, Prof. Phillip J. Robinson, Prof. Bing Zhou, and Prof. Jean-François Couture delivered invited academic reports, showcasing research progress with significant industry implications in their respective fields.

At the Young Scholar Salon hosted by Prof. Hanbin Lin and Dr. Zhibin Ning of uOttawa, young international researchers Barbora Salovska, Didi Surian, Daniel Bucio-Noble, Janna Ashley, and Gregoire Sabrina exchanged innovative methods and perspectives with their Chinese peers, including Bin Zhou, Yuanli Song, and Xiaoxian Du, focusing on proteomics tool innovation.

During the training, participants visited the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Mass Spectrometry Platforms, the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Center of SIMM, and the SIMM Exhibition Hall. These visits provided an intuitive experience of Shanghai’s leading-edge life science infrastructure and deepened their understanding of SIMM’s academic legacy and innovative drug development.

This event not only deepened high-level discussions and cooperation but also set a benchmark for sustainable, replicable, open, and shared international education collaboration. The activity was supported by the CAS International Exchange Program, with strong backing from the CAS Bureau of International Cooperation, the SIMM Public Technology Center Mass Spectrometry Technology Service Department, and the SIMM Structural Characterization Research Center.

‌Group photo of Summer School Members

‌On-site of “Symposium on Multi-Omics & Drug Discovery”

‌Issue Certificates of Visiting Researcher to International Experts

‌Visit to Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility

‌Visit to the Exhibition Hall, Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Platform Center, Cryo-electron Microscopy Platform Center

Source: Hu Zhou Research Group | Author: Yifan Ma