In order to gather scientific and technological workers, promote academic exchanges, disseminate scientific knowledge, share the latest research progress in the field of signal transduction and targeted therapy, improve the international academic influence of the journal, and promote the development of disciplines, the opening ceremony of the 2021 “Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy” International Biomedical Conference and Journal Development Forum, sponsored by Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA), the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and the journal, Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, and co-organized by MedComm and Molecular Biomedicine, was successfully held in the Longemont Chengdu Hotel on October 30, 2021. The ceremony was open for nearly a thousand journal editors and scientific researchers who are engaged in biomedical related fields in medical research institutions  at all levels and universities in through  a combination of online and offline methods.

Important guests attending the opening ceremony include Professor Jiang Zhihong, Vice President of Macau University of Science and Technology, Professor Zhou Xuedong, Dean (academic) of West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Professor Gong Qiyong, Vice President of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Professor Zhang Kang, Director of Transformation Innovation Center, Faculty of Medicine of Macau University of Science and Technology and West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, Academician Wei Yuquan, Director of State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, as well as Ms. Zhang Mengfan, Secretary General of SCIMEA.

The grand scene of the opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Yang Shengyong from the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Professor Yang, on behalf of the organizing committee, extended the warmest welcome and most sincere thanks to the present leaders, guests and experts and professors participating in the conference through online means!

Professor Yang Shengyong from the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University hosts the opening ceremony.

The preparation and holding of this conference is inseparable from the support of everyone present and the assistance of other parties, including the strong support of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology. Mr. Liu Xingping, Director of Science and Technology Innovation Department of China Association for Science and Technology, delivered an opening speech first via video link. He first expressed his warm congratulations on the successful convening of the conference, and noted the Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, with the help of various parties, adhering to the philosophy of focusing on academic quality and serving scientific research first, has rapidly grown into a high-quality journal with international influence in the field of biomedicine, and has set a good example for other domestic journals to learn from. As the country gradually attaches importance to the construction of scientific and technological journals, he hoped everyone would seize the rare development opportunities and make concerted efforts to promote the prosperity and development of China’s sci-tech journals, and make contributions to global academic exchanges and cooperation.

Liu Xingping, Director of Science and Technology Innovation Department of China Association for Science and Technology, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony.

Professor Gong Qiyong, Vice President of West China Hospital of Sichuan University also expressed warm congratulations on the convening of the conference on behalf of the hospital in his opening speech. He indicated that, in recent years, the state and various provinces and cities highly valued the development of sci-tech journals, and the universities and scientific research institutions have also actively promoted the construction of world-class journals. At present, the hospital has created 5 English journals. Among them, the Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy is another academic achievement produced by the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University. This journal was founded in 2016 and only in 3 years, it was included in SCI, with an impact factor of 18.187 in 2021, ranking No. 1 in domestic medical journals, creating a miracle in the development of medical journals.

Professor Gong Qiyong, Vice President of West China Hospital of Sichuan University delivers an opening speech.

Subsequently, Academician Wei Yuquan, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, mentioned in his speech that, the purpose of this conference is to exchange and share the latest research progress in the field of signal transduction and targeted therapy, improve the academic influence of the journal around the globe, and effectively promote the development of disciplines in a practical manner. In the future, the sci-tech journals will have the say in the world of science and technology and demonstrate global influence of China's technological innovation. At present, our paper publications and scientific and technological development show huge potential, but we still have a long way to go in the development of sci-tech journals. We urgently need to create more world-class journals to seize the high ground of world technology and academics, and lead a large number of academic colleagues to jointly explore breakthroughs in signal transduction research on human diseases, so as to promote the development of the application of targeted therapy in human diseases.

Academician Wei Yuquan, Director of Cancer Center of the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, wishes the conference a complete success.

After the opening ceremony, the academic guests brought wonderful academic reports to the guests in their respective areas of expertise.

Academician Wang Fusheng of Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital 

“Progress in Cell Therapy for Difficult Liver Diseases and Thoughts Brought by the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Jiang Shibo, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education and National Health Commission at Fudan University

“Development of Highly Effective and Broad-Spectrum Vaccines and Drugs against Beta Coronavirus”

Qin Chuan, Institute of Laboratory Animals Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

“Building Animal Models for COVID-19 and Their Application in Vaccine and Drug Transformation”

Zhang Kang, Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology

“Research on Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence Technology and Drug Research and Development in Medical Health”

Liu Hong, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences

“Discovery Research on Broad-Spectrum Anti-RNA Virus Active Compounds”

Group photo of important guests at the opening ceremony

The coming two-day conference, which will witness a gathering of big names, is divided into two sessions. One is the academic session, by Academician Wang Fusheng from The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, and the other is journal session, led by Academician Wei Yuquan, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The guests of the two sessions, based on their respective focuses, will conduct various forms of academic exchange activities on the topics of the frontier progress in the field of signal transduction and targeted therapy, journal development strategies, and disciplinary development and other agendas.

It is believed that with the help of experts and scholars and the support of the conference platform, we will continue to forge ahead and climb the peak under the trend of vigorous development, strive to enhance the international influence of academic communication, and take a major step toward a world-class academic journal and a first-rate academic center.