The Forum was hosted by Chinese Academy of Engineering and organized by the Department of Medicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Stomatology, national key laboratories jointly built by the province and the ministry (sponsored), National Center for Stomatology, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology, and Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology. The Forum focused on the impacts of changes in oral ecology on the etiology, progression, prognosis, and outcomes of some major chronic conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, neoplastic diseases, chronic obstructive pneumonia, and Alzheimer's disease. Six academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, 2 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and 12 outstanding experts from China's colleges of stomatology were invited to give a speech. Gao Zhanjun, Director of the China Academy of Engineering Third Bureau, also attended the Forum.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Guo Lian, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Stomatology. Academician Wang Chen, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, gave a speech. Wang said that the oral cavity is an organ that occupies a pivotal status in the human body and is closely related to the external environment and other parts of the human body. Oral health and systemic health have a mutual influence on each other. Oral diseases are usually constituents of comorbidities and composite diseases and should be treated from a holistic and integrated perspective. It is necessary to promote the intercross and fusion of medicine (including stomatology) and engineering, sciences, social sciences, and humanities and enhance the development of stomatology via the multidisciplinary approach. Featured by high prevalence, oral diseases now constitute a prominent public health problem. It is important that we attach greater attention to oral medicine. Finally, Academician Wang Chen showed that the theme of the Forum reflected the key issue of interest in academic and technical development of stomatology. He also wished the success of the Forum.

Zhu Xinyuan, Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, thanked the experts and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in his speech for their support and assistance in teaching and research at the University and particularly for their contributions to the biomedical and healthcare industries. Shanghai Jiao Tong University has been adhering to the “four orientations” principle and building a top medical school with Chinese characteristics. Efforts have been made to promote medicine-engineering cross-over and giant-giant alliance. Injecting new vitality into the development of medical disciplines and looking for new power sources for high-quality development of medical science are top priorities for the School of Medicine. Zhu hoped that the Forum can provide professional guidance for researches on the relationship between oral diseases and major chronic conditions and point out directions of development of research platforms concerning the interplay between oral ecology and major chronic conditions.

Jiang Fan, Council Chair of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, said that the School of Medicine is a higher medical school with the mission of fostering medical talents for the Chinese Community Party and the Chinese people. The ideal of coordinated development and common culture between Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, and affiliated hospitals has been strictly upheld. The School of Medicine has been committed to facilitating China's healthcare development and giving full support to the development of the College of Stomatology. The School of Medicine attaches high importance to fostering high-level stomatology talents with innovation capacity, making the utmost of the rich clinical resources of the affiliated Ninth People’s Hospital, and strengthening collaboration with peer colleges. The perspective of holistic medicine is adopted for understanding the interplay between oral diseases and major chronic conditions. The School of Medicine is looking forward to being complementary and forming a strong alliance with other national-level and provincial-level key laboratories to make influential and ground-breaking scientific achievements.

Wu Hao, President of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, made an introduction to the basic information of Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital during his speech. He also said that the Hospital attaches high importance to the construction of the stomatology department, which is ranked highly as a top development priority of the Hospital. The China Engineering Science and Technology Forum on “Research on the Interplay between Oral Ecology and Major Chronic Diseases” was an attempt to create a new linkage model for diagnosis and treatment based on the strengths of Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital in several specialties and as a general hospital and by integrating the diagnosis and treatment of oral diseases and chronic conditions. In the future, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital will continue to give full play to its advantages in technological innovations in key disciplines and incorporate oral medicine research into systematic medicine research. Relentless efforts will be made to build a national scientific and technological innovation system and resolve a series of major research challenges.

During the Academician Forum, academicians Wang Chen, Ge Junbo, Dong Jiahong, Yu Shuhong, Lin Dongxin, Zhang Zhiyuan, Li Zhaoshen, and Jia Weiping delivered excellent reports on fundamentals of medical discipline and discipline system, building the department of precision hepatobiliary surgery, biomimetic materials for medical purposes, esophageal cancer, oral microecology and cancers, gastrointestinal tract diagnosis and treatment, and chronic disease prevention and control. An academic exchange platform was provided for all experts and specialists attending the Forum with respect to integrated prevention and treatment. This was a valuable opportunity for sharing experiences in the diagnosis, treatment, and research of major chronic conditions in China, exploring the directions of integrated prevention and control of major chronic conditions, and laying a solid foundation for implementing the Healthy China Strategy.

The kick-off meeting for the “Oral Microecology Project for Ten Thousand Chinese People” and the academic forum were also held along with the Forum. This project was jointly led by the following hospitals and enterprises: Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, College of Stomatology of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology of Sichuan University, Peking University School of Stomatology, Third Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University, Stomatology Hospital of Wuhan University, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Stomatological Hospital of Shandong University, Shenzhen Zero One Life Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Gemang Trading Co., Ltd. The project was intended to build a large-scale database of oral microecology in Chinese populations, characterize the oral health status in Chinese populations, and analyze the connections between oral microecology, oral diseases, and major chronic conditions. The launching ceremony was hosted by Sun Jian, Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Stomatology. Xu Yuanjin, Secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Stomatology, gave a welcome speech. After the launching ceremony, professors Huang Zhengwei and Zong Zhongchen from the College of Stomatology hosted the Forum. Reports were given by the following experts from different hospitals, research institutes and colleges: Chen Faming, President of the Third Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Medical University, Luan Qingxian, Director of the Periodontics Department of Peking University School of Stomatology, Zhao Lei, Director of the Periodontics Department of West China School of Stomatology of Sichuan University, Professor Li Yuhong from Wuhan University Hospital of Stomatology, Wang Zhi, Vice President of Stomatology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, and Professor Feng Qiang from Stomatological Hospital of Shandong University.

Young Scientist Forum was also held in the same period and hosted by Professor Duan Shengzhong, Executive Deputy Director of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology. Jiang Xinquan, Executive Dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University College of Stomatology, gave a welcome speech. During the Forum, Chen Qianming, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Stomatology Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and President of Zhejiang University School of Medicine; Yan Fuhua, Vice President of the School of Stomatology, Nanjing University; Sun Hongchen, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University; Professor Pan Yaping from Stomatology Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University; Xiao Jing, Director of the Discipline Construction Division, Dalian Medical University; and Duan Shengzhong, Executive Deputy Director of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology shared their views and made prospective analyses on the following topics: oral mucosal delivery strategies, influence of periodontitis on systemic diseases and health, role of the BMP signaling pathway in bone remodeling, interrelationships betweenPorphyromonas gingivalis and oral squamous cell carcinoma, gut microbiota homeostasis, relationship between oral ecology, metabolism and cardiovascular diseases.

The Forum centered around exchanges of comprehensive prevention and control strategies and experience for major chronic conditions in light of the “Healthy China 2030" blueprint. The Forum, which transmitted novel, cutting-edge information and created a profound academic atmosphere, was well-received by online and offline participants. All attendees of the Forum spoke highly of this academic feast and enjoyed their experience in exchanging and learning new ideas in stomatology and integrative medicine.