On June 17, Prof. Cheng Yongzhong, Party Secretary of West China School of Medicine (West China Hospital, WCH) of Sichuan University (SCU), and Prof. Wang Kunjie, Executive Vice Dean of West China School of Medicine, led a team to visit Karolinska Institute in Sweden for academic exchanges with the Rolf Luft Research Center, and unveiled the Joint Laboratory of Research Center for Islet Transportation, West China Hospital, SCU and Rolf Luft Research Center, Karolinska Institute (hereinafter referred to as the Joint Laboratory) with Prof. Per-Olof Berggren, Director of the Research Center.

Li Wenqing, Vice Governor of the People's Government of Sichuan Province, Yang Xin, Deputy Secretary-General, Lu Songming, Director of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province, and other leaders attended the meeting.

At the meeting, Cheng Yongzhong stated that Prof. Berggren, as a part-time expert of WCH, has been committed to the development of the hospital’s pancreatic islet transplantation research project. The establishment of the Joint Laboratory is an important milestone in collaboration. Both parties will carry out in-depth cooperation in many fields such as diabetes and endocrinology research, talent cultivation, academic exchange, etc., to jointly promote the cutting-edge development of medical research. Cheng Yongzhong expressed his hope that more top research teams from the Karolinska Institute would establish closer cooperative relationships with the hospital.

Prof. Berggren mentioned that the foundation of cooperation between Karolinska Institute and the WCH is solid, hoping that this visit can further deepen bilateral cooperation and promote substantial output.

The establishment of the Joint Laboratory not only injects new momentum into the international development of West China Medicine at SCU but also builds a new platform for China-Swedish medical cooperation, further enhancing the influence and competitiveness of the WCH in the international medical field.

About Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology

The Rolf Luft Research Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology is a top-tier research institution affiliated with the Karolinska Institute. Being a vanguard in diabetes research globally, the center is at the forefront in research facilities and innovation. It is named after renowned endocrinologist Rolf Luft, who made pioneering contributions to the fields of diabetes, endocrinology, and mitochondrial diseases and is hailed as “the father of Swedish endocrinology”.