Department of Rheumatology & Clinical Immunology

The Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital has been one of the earliest bases for the development of rheumatology and talent cultivation in China since its establishment in 1980, integrating medical care, research, and education to continuously enhance the level of diagnosis and treatment in rheumatology and promote the development of rheumatology in the country. The department has established a development philosophy that prioritizes research, is grounded in education, and is fundamentally based on medical care. Currently, the department has 46 staff members, including 3 senior experts, 4 recipients of the National Personnel Department's Overseas Study Returnees Research Fund, 3 experts with government special allowances, 11 chief physicians, 12 doctoral supervisors, 10 associate chief physicians, 12 master's supervisors, 24 senior titles, 15 intermediate titles, and 22 various professional technical personnel. Among the clinical physicians under 40 years old, 100% hold doctoral degrees, and 80% have experience working in laboratories in developed Western countries. Currently, 10 members hold positions in national associations, including the Chair and Incoming Chair of the Rheumatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, as well as the President and Vice President of the Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Physician Branch of the Chinese Physician Association, with 10 members serving in the Beijing Medical Association. The department sees over 130,000 outpatient visits annually and has 68 beds, serving critically ill and complex rheumatic patients from across the country. To promote the popularization and improvement of rheumatology in China, the department has consistently held various rheumatology workshops and academic conferences annually since its establishment, authored multiple rheumatology monographs, and conducted scientific research in line with clinical needs, achieving significant results. It is the first national doctoral degree granting point in rheumatology recognized by the Ministry of Education, a postdoctoral research station in rheumatology, a key discipline unit in rheumatology recognized by the Ministry of Education, a training base for resident physicians recognized by the Ministry of Health, a national continuing education base for rheumatology, a national clinical trial base for rheumatic drugs, and a key laboratory of the Ministry of Education, serving as a training unit for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers in rheumatology, cultivating a large number of specialized talents in rheumatology nationwide. The department has consistently ranked first in the

Best Specialty Reputation Rankings

published by the Fudan University Hospital Management Research Institute and remains at the forefront of the STEM rheumatology rankings in China. In recent years, thanks to the gradual increase in national investment in rheumatology and immunology diseases, supported by the SLE Technology Support Program/863 Project, the Clinical Evaluation Research Technology Platform for New Drugs in Autoimmune Diseases, and other industry research projects from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, Peking Union Medical College Hospital has led the establishment of a research network for the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research Collaboration Group (CSTAR) and the National Rheumatic Disease Data Center (CRDC), collaborating with nearly 800 rheumatic disease diagnosis and treatment centers nationwide, becoming a leading collaborative organization for rheumatic disease research in the country. It has created the Chinese Rheumatic Disease Information Database, a biobank (CRIP), and a standardized training and multidisciplinary communication platform (CREP), initiating multicenter collaborative research in the field of rheumatology in China and publishing standardized diagnosis and treatment consensus in the field of rheumatology. The department has undertaken or participated in numerous national and ministerial research projects, hosted and participated in many international and domestic multicenter clinical studies as well as high-quality single-center clinical studies, published hundreds of SCI-indexed papers, and led the formulation of multiple clinical diagnosis and treatment guidelines in the field of rheumatology and immunology, receiving 12 national and provincial-level awards, including 3 National Science and Technology Progress Awards, and publishing several academic monographs. This has laid a solid foundation for conducting large-scale multicenter clinical research on autoimmune diseases that is scientifically managed, standardized, and meets international top-level standards.