Systems medicine

Professor Lyu Aiping is Chair Professor & Vice-President (Research and Development), Hong Kong Baptist University, Director of Shum Yiu Foon Shum Bik Chuen Memorial Centre for Cancer & Inflammation Research (CCIR) of HKBU, Director of Institute of Integrated Bioinformedicine & Translational Science (IBTS) of HKBU, Director of Hong Kong Baptist University Joint Centre for Pain Research (JCPR), Chair Professor in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) and Recipient of the Distinguished Young Scholar in National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in 2007. Prof. Lyu is also the member of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Development Committee, the member of Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Administration Committee, the member of Biology and Medicine Panel in Hong Kong Research Grant Committee (RGC).

He obtained his bachelor degree from Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1983, and further obtained his master's and Ph.D. degrees from China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (now called the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, CACMS). From 2006 to 2012, he was the Director of Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, and the Director of Institute of Basic Theory of CACMS from 1999 to 2002. In 2002-2006, Prof Lyu was appointed as General Director, Jiangxi Herbfine Hi-tech Co. Ltd (National Pharmaceutical Engineering Centre), one of four centres in China in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine industry.

Professor Lyu is a world-leading scientist in aptamer-based translational medicine and drug discovery. He is not only working on basic research that demonstrates novel precision medicine-based therapeutic strategies for rheumatic disease treatment, but also on translational research in collaboration with pharmaceutical industry for the development of novel therapeutic agents. He is the director of the first aptamer R&D platform in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area of China, which has attracted aptamer pharmaceutical industries to establish "Aptamer Drug Valley" in the Hong Kong Science Park. He has developed the world's first ever osteoblast-targeting nucleic acid aptamer. His first discovery of the therapeutic aptamer targeting Sclerostin loop3 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by US FDA (DRU-2019-6966) for evaluating the therapeutic potential for promoting bone formation in osteogenesis imperfect. He has also developed the first aptamer-Paclitaxel conjugates, which showcased a precision medicine-based personalized Paclitaxel for targeting specific cancer types, which is currently being developed into anti-cancer therapeutics by a pharmaceutical company.

Professor Lyu initiated the idea of using systems biology approach to identify metabolite biomarkers for subtyping RA patients with distinct clinical manifestations. His clinical research has also underpinned the potent efficacy of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. based therapy for RA treatment, which is recommended by the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine as the Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines. Besides, Professor Lyu has established the China's largest biobank of rheumatic diseases in Shanghai Guanghua Hospital of Integrative Medicine. The biobank has facilitated his discovery of the molecular mechanism addressing the limited efficacy of Leflunomide on bone erosion in a subgroup of RA patients with elevated serum C-reactive protein.

Being a renowned expert and academic in the field, Prof Lyu has been appointed as Head & Spokesperson of the China Delegation, International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee on TCM (ISO/TC249) since 2009. Besides, he also currently serves as Member of Medical Advisory Committee of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Member of Chinese Pharmacopoeia Commission and Vice-Chairman, Terminology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Sub-Committee, China National Committee for Terms in Sciences and Technologies (CNCTST). Also he is the director of Chinese Medicine Standardization Office in State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM), and the director of Chinese Medicine Standard Research Center in CACMS. Most recently, he has been elected Foreign Member of the Academia Europaea.

He was invited to serve as Visiting Scholar in a number of institutions including Lund University in Sweden, Ohio State University in the United States, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Based on his outstanding research achievement, Prof Lyu was invited as guest speakers in various international academic conferences.