On the afternoon of January 28, 2026, Professor Alfred Yu, Vice-President of the University of Waterloo, Canada, led a delegation to visit the School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering / the Organ-on-a-Chip Institute / the State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering at Southeast University for academic exchange and collaboration discussions. Faculty representatives from the School accompanied the delegation, and both sides engaged in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge research in biomedical engineering, interdisciplinary integration, and international cooperation.
During the visit, the delegation first toured the exhibition hall on the first floor of the School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering. Professor Peng Xie, Head of the Department of Bioinformatics, systematically introduced the School’s history, achievements in discipline development, and faculty strengths, with particular emphasis on the pioneering contributions of Academician Wei Yu to the founding and development of the discipline, as well as the research concepts behind the "Digital Human" project and the progress in frontier technologies such as organ-on-a-chip. Professor Xie also elaborated on the three core missions of the State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, offering the guests a comprehensive understanding of the laboratory’s research framework and disciplinary features.
During the exchange session, the delegation from the University of Waterloo expressed particular interest in interdisciplinary collaboration mechanisms, posing detailed questions on "how to effectively promote interdisciplinary integration" and "how to build interdisciplinary research teams." Drawing on the School’s practices, Professor Xie shared experiences from the perspectives of discipline planning, project-driven initiatives, and talent cultivation, emphasizing innovative approaches to breaking down disciplinary barriers through the establishment of interdisciplinary platforms and specialized collaborative projects.
The delegation then visited the Organ-on-a-Chip Institute on the eighth floor of the building. Professor Zaozao Chen, Associate Director of the Institute, provided a detailed introduction to the Institute’s faculty composition, four core research directions, and innovative achievements, systematically explaining the technical features of organ-on-a-chip and its application prospects in drug development, disease modeling, and related fields. Through physical displays and laboratory tours, the visitors gained an intuitive appreciation of the Institute’s research strengths and technological advantages in this area.
During the visit, Professor Chen led the delegation through the chemistry laboratory, cell laboratory, electrical engineering laboratory, and optics laboratory, engaging in lively discussions with researchers on specific technical details. The delegation spoke highly of the Institute’s well-established research facilities and integrated research system.
This visit has laid a solid foundation for deepening collaboration between the two universities. Both sides expressed their commitment to seizing this opportunity to further promote exchanges and cooperation in cutting-edge biomedical engineering research, interdisciplinary talent development, and international collaborative projects, jointly advancing innovative development in the field of medical-engineering integration.
