Our latest ZJE graduates pushing the frontiers of biomedical science

Edinburgh graduations are always special, but this year they carry particular meaning as we celebrate 300 years of Edinburgh Medical School. We are delighted that Professor David J. Argyle, Vice-Principal of the University of Edinburgh, gave the graduation address. HRH The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, also sent good wishes to our graduands saying: “Many congratulations on graduating and I wish you every success in the future”. 

Notably, seven of our students who are based at our Zhejiang University - University of Edinburgh Joint Institute in China travelled to Edinburgh to be awarded their PhDs in our beautiful McEwan Hall. Their projects reflect the breadth of biomedical science research ongoing at ZJE, with work ranging from molecular mechanisms inside cells to global patterns of disease transmission and elimination. 

Projects including examination of hidden reservoirs of human African trypanosomiasis, drivers and constraints for malaria control, rabies transmission and zoonotic infections shared between dogs and humans. These studies address some of the major challenges in global health: hidden disease reservoirs, cross-border transmission, environmental and policy drivers, and the practical barriers to elimination. Other projects focus on the hidden changes inside cells that can drive disease. Researchers are examining how molecular signals can fuel aggressive tumour growth, including in lung cancer, and how cells in mammary tissue change identity, communicate and shape healthy and diseased tissue. 

The portfolio also includes translational biomedical innovation, with research into biosensors for detecting urinary extracellular vesicles as a route to point-of-care diagnosis of acute kidney disease. Together, these areas show how biomedical research connects discovery science with clinical, public health and global impact.

ZJE’s Integrative Biomedical Sciences PhD at Zhejiang University trains researchers to address global health challenges through advanced biomedical science, interdisciplinary supervision, international collaboration, and rigorous, impact-focused doctoral research in China with Global impact.