Combining clinical and basic research, as well as integrating medical engineering with medical science, a "Medical Innovation Team" composed of six young and middle-aged national-level experts is exploring new strategies for the early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases through interdisciplinary collaboration. Recently, the "Mechanisms and Interventions of Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases" project, led by Professor Bu Jun from the Renji Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, was approved as a National Natural Science Foundation Innovation Research Group Project. This team has been committed to clinical and translational research on ischemic cardiovascular diseases and has made several breakthroughs in the field of "AI + Cardiovascular Imaging." They have developed new technologies for early screening and precise diagnosis suitable for community populations, advancing the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

A Gathering of National-Level Talents with Complementary Expertise

Clinical doctor, imaging expert, biomedical engineering specialist, basic medical researcher, AI and big data professional… This innovative research group, consisting of six members with an average age of 46, are all national-level award winners. The team focuses on ischemic cardiovascular diseases, with Professor Bu Jun from Renji Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine as the team leader. Members include Professor Chen Fengyuan from Xinhua Hospital, Professor Yan Xiaoxiang from Ruijin Hospital, Dr. Wu Lianming, Chief Physician of the Radiology Department at Renji Hospital, Professor Tu Shengxian and Professor Qian Kun from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, among others, forming a team with complementary professional expertise and strong research vitality. "The cardiovascular department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine was established in the early 1950s and has a rich historical foundation," said Bu Jun. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with ischemic cardiovascular diseases being the primary cause. Exploring the triggers of ischemic cardiovascular events, finding new strategies for stabilizing atherosclerotic plaques, and reducing myocardial infarction events are urgent needs for China's health and critical research breakthroughs. "The team members share common research goals but have distinct individual expertise, combining basic and clinical research, and integrating medical engineering with medical science, which sparks innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration."

Addressing Clinical Challenges and Developing Innovative Technologies

The core philosophy of this innovative research group is to start from clinical challenges. To address the bottlenecks in early diagnosis and treatment of ischemic cardiovascular diseases, the team has conducted a series of original studies on the rupture of plaques and acute myocardial infarction reperfusion strategies. They have especially leveraged the advantages of interdisciplinary medical engineering and clinical translation, collaborating to independently develop a series of original Chinese technologies and innovative devices to guide early diagnosis, screening, and precise prevention and control of ischemic cardiovascular diseases. "Early detection of high-risk plaques leading to cardiovascular sudden death is key to reducing cardiovascular mortality." Bu Jun explained that the team developed a new method for assessing plaque vulnerability through medical engineering integration and proposed an international new classification standard for unstable coronary plaques. They also realized intelligent screening of coronary flow reserve through the internet and non-invasive precise diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Addressing the clinical challenge of subclinical myocardial injury, the team innovatively combined non-invasive myocardial pathology with imaging characteristics and developed an AI-based imaging intelligent cardiovascular event early warning system, guiding precise stratification and intervention, providing a highly repeatable and precise evaluation tool for early myocardial injury screening. The team's research findings have been included in the authoritative textbook Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine and more than ten international clinical guidelines and standards. Their independently developed series of cardiovascular technologies and devices have received National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) medical device registration certificates and have successfully been transformed, industrialized, and applied clinically, establishing a distinctive advantage and leading position in the field of cardiovascular imaging and precision diagnosis and treatment.

Community Population Survey and AI-Driven Health Interventions

"The mortality rate of ischemic cardiovascular diseases remains high, with significant residual risks even under current interventions," Bu Jun said. One of the team's important goals is to shift the prevention and control efforts for ischemic cardiovascular diseases to the community level and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in these populations. "Our goal is to identify early those individuals at risk for preclinical cardiovascular diseases within the community and intervene early. This intervention is not just pharmacological, but also focuses on improving lifestyle behaviors," Bu Jun continued. "We have engaged with communities to understand residents' habits and behaviors, including their living conditions and social psychological factors, and developed appropriate health management strategies based on epidemiological data. For example, we use AI to develop wearable health management tools to collect big data and perform intelligent analysis, offering early interventions for individuals with unhealthy lifestyle habits." "We also pay special attention to the impact of sleep patterns on community health, such as for healthcare workers, drivers, and IT professionals who often work irregular hours or stay up late. Through community cohort surveys, we have found that these groups have a higher incidence of cerebrovascular diseases." Bu Jun explained, "We are exploring more reasonable sleep and shift work patterns through community cohort studies and clinical intervention research." The team has developed accurate classification and early screening techniques for cardiovascular metabolic risks in community populations and established a high-risk metabolic group. To address unhealthy metabolic behaviors in these populations, they have developed AI-driven digital prescriptions for proactive health management, advancing the prevention and control of ischemic cardiovascular diseases. In the future, the innovative research group will continue to engage in multidimensional, interdisciplinary research to address multiple bottleneck issues in ischemic cardiovascular diseases, from their origins to precise diagnosis and treatment, offering new theories, technologies, and strategies.