The Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) at the University of Macau (UM) is proud to highlight the remarkable achievements and potential of two of its rising faculty members, Dr. He Song and Dr. Chihua Li. Both researchers bring exceptional expertise and innovative approaches to their respective fields, contributing significantly to the advancement of Chinese medicinal, biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences.
Dr. He Song: Bridging Structural Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Dr. He Song, an Assistant Professor at ICMS, has established himself as a leading figure in structural biology and its application to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). After earning his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University in 2013, Dr. Song conducted postdoctoral research at the National Cancer Institute (NIH), where he specialized in the structural analysis of RNA-processing proteins and structure-based drug development. His academic journey continued at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he made significant contributions to structural biology as a research associate.
Since joining ICMS at UM in 2023, Dr. Song has focused on integrating structural biology into TCM research. His work aims to identify novel bioactive compounds, elucidate disease mechanisms, and bridge the gap between traditional remedies and modern drug discovery. His research encompasses pharmaceutical development, pharmacology, and natural product biosynthesis. His team successfully resolved the cryo-EM structure of helical Zingibroside R1 nanofibrils, uncovering their antifungal properties and achieving the first high-resolution structural characterization of a naturally occurring chemical assembly. Additionally, he identified a key regulator of articular chondrocyte fatty acid metabolism and joint homeostasis, providing a foundation for structure-based drug development targeting osteoarthritis. His research also extends to bile acid metabolism, focusing on key enzymes involved in bile acid biosynthesis, which contributes to the sustainable production of pharmaceutical-grade bile acids.
Through interdisciplinary techniques, Dr. Song is propelling pharmaceutical sciences forward, fostering the modernization and global integration of TCM. His innovative approach positions him as a rising star in the field, with the potential to make transformative contributions to drug discovery and development.
Dr. Chihua Li: Integrating Epidemiology and Chinese Medicine Research
Dr. Chihua Li, as Assistant Professor at ICMS, is a distinguished researcher specializing in life-course epidemiology, with a focus on cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Li earned his bachelor’s degree from Beijing Institute of Technology in 2012 and completed his master’s and PhD degrees at Columbia University. Following his postdoctoral training at Columbia, the University of Michigan, and Johns Hopkins University, he contributed to over five NIH-funded R01 projects on aging and chronic disease.
In 2024, Dr. Li joined ICMS at UM. Dr. Li’s research employs epidemiological methods, integrating large-scale population studies with multi-omics data and causal inference techniques to systematically examine how adverse exposures across the life course influence healthy aging. Building on this foundation, he is developing tools to assess peripheral immune function and biological aging, enabling more solid evaluations of immune health at both individual and population levels. His work further explores the mechanisms through which immune aging contributes to chronic disease progression. In terms of applied research, Dr. Li actively promotes the integration of epidemiological methodologies into TCM research, employing scientific approaches to quantify the effects of TCM on immune aging and chronic disease. He utilizes immune dysregulation and biological age assessment tools to study how TCM modulates immune function, delays immune system aging, and contributes to chronic disease prevention and management. By integrating modern epidemiological methods with classical TCM principles, he aims to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying TCM’s role in promoting healthy aging, providing scientific evidence for TCM research and evidence-based medical practice. Furthermore, he plans to combine epidemiological research with pharmaceutical regulatory science to support TCM-based health interventions with robust scientific evidence, thereby informing public health policy and advancing the precision application of TCM.
Through this interdisciplinary research, Dr. Li seeks to modernize the role of TCM in health sciences, offering innovative solutions to address the global challenge of population aging.