Source: Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital
Written by: Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery，Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital
Translated by: International Office, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

On August 27, 2015, a collaborative partnership on pancreatic diseases was established between the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. Prof. Christopher Wolfgang, co-director of Pancreatic Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Prof. Lei Zheng from Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center were invited to attend the ceremony. As representatives of the Pancreatic Surgery Department in the Johns Hopkins, both of them have been recently employed as Visiting Professors of Sun Yat-sen University.

During the ceremony, Prof. Chen Rufu, the hospital’s vice president as well as the director of the Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery, first gave a brief introduction about the hospital’s history to the Johns Hopkins guests. He then proceeded to share the latest achievements of the basic and clinical research, individualized therapy and multidisciplinary approach on pancreatic cancer. Both Prof. Wolfgang and Prof. Zheng showed great interest in the research results on the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and the research results on pancreatic cancer-related diabetes. After Prof. Chen’s report, both parties carried out in-depth exchanges to pinpoint the latest obstacles for pancreatic research development.


The next part of the ceremony was chaired by Prof. Ou Qingjia, the honorary chief surgeon of the hospital’s General Surgery. Discussions were carried out to tackle the cases of intractable pancreatic diseases at hand. Both Prof. Wolfgang and Prof. Zheng managed to impress the young surgeons while analyzing the cases with logical approaches and feasible methods at international standards.

At the end of the ceremony, Prof. Chen handed over the Letters of SYSU Visiting Professor Appointment to the two Johns Hopkins professors. The Hospital Albums were also given on this occasion. To conclude, Prof. Wolfgang stated that the partnership establishment on pancreatic diseases provides a great international platform to enhance pancreatic treatments in South East China. He also expressed hopes to achieve solid results in the field of pancreatic cancer by furthering the collaboration on talent training and scientific research.


The Johns Hopkins Hospital is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the United States. It is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest hospitals and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the best overall hospital in America for 21 consecutive years. Its Pancreatic Cancer Surgery is the top discipline in the U.S. and one of the strongest areas in the world.

As Professor of Surgery, Prof. Christopher L. Wolfgang focuses his primary clinical interests on cancers and benign disease of the liver, pancreas, bile duct and gallbladder. His major scientific interest is in the biological behavior of pancreatic cancers. As Associate Professor of Oncology, Prof. Lei Zheng specializes at anal cancer, bile duct cancer, carcinoid syndrome, carcinoid tumors, cholangiocarcinoma, etc.