China-Australia International Research Center for Chinese Medicine (CAIRC-CM)

Cooperation history

Since 2008, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia have signed a cooperation agreement “IRN-Chinese Medicine, the International Research Network for Traditional and Complementary Medicine”. And we started the collaborative research of Chinese medicine in the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases, neuroskeletal and muscular diseases and common dermatological diseases. RMIT proposed the methodology and application of overall evidence evaluation in Chinese Medicine, and the cooperation project promoted the development of many aspects, such as more effective traditional literature evaluation methods, the development of international clinical research, bilateral strengthening of research culture collision, and the establishment of consortiums to attract external research funding.

In 2009, the two sides deepened and expanded the scope of cooperation to include traditional and modern evidence evaluation of Chinese medicine. With the continuous expansion of the influence of the center, it has successively achieved rich outputs. The cooperation has been valued and recognized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the State Administration of Chinese Medicine in China. In 2012, the cooperation was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology for International Cooperation (Evaluation of Traditional and Modern Evidence of Traditional and Modern Chinese Medicine), and in April 2013, the State Administration of Chinese Medicine officially approved the establishment of the "China-Australia International Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (CAIRC-CM)" relying on both parties.

In 2013, the main mission of CAIRC-CM was determined, to promote the development of evidence-based medicine research in the field of Chinese medicine through systematic evaluation of evidence-based medicine on the efficacy and safety of Chinese Medicine dominant diseases, publication of peer-reviewed high-quality SCI papers, and cooperation in international multi-center clinical trials of Chinese Medicine. CAIRC-CM aims to carry out high-impact Chinese medicine research, serve the evidence-based health care of the global public, and focus on strengthening and deepening the education and research of evidence-based Chinese medicine, occupy the international commanding heights, and support the cultivation of clinical research talents with an international perspective through extensive and in-depth research projects.

Research fields

Since 2019, CAIRC-CM has begun to prepare for the translation and application of evidence and the original clinical research of high-impact Chinese medicine. The working group on the principles of research in priority areas of Chinese Medicine composed of international multidisciplinary experts was established, the "Principles for the Selection of Priority Research Areas of Chinese Medicine Medicine" was established, and the in-hospital evaluation and trial were completed, laying a solid foundation for cooperation in high-impact clinical research of Chinese Medicine. Through cooperation with the University of Chicago and the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine, the Center has provided relevant researchers with bilingual international standard training courses on “Chemistry, Manufactureand Quality control (CMC)” of Chinese medicines. Meeting this standard will provide a solid foundation for future clinical trial publication in world-class professional journals and results conversion.

At present, CAIRC-CM plans to systematically sort out and strictly evaluate the ancient and modern evidence of the dominant diseases of Chinese medicine, jointly train RMIT overseas doctors, and formally incorporate the evidence-based medical research methodology of Chinese medicine into the undergraduate courses of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and RMIT University.

The key to the international development of Chinese medicine is to conduct systematic research on evidence-based medicine through the study of the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine in the dominant diseases of Chinese medicine. At present, the main mission of CAIRC-CM is to strengthen and deepen the education and research of evidence-based Chinese medicine, and occupy the international commanding heights. CAIRC-CM pays particular attention to the improvement of the team's research capabilities, and supports the development of local and international talents through extensive and in-depth research projects.

Talent team

（1）Researchers

Co-directors of CAIRC-CM: Professor Charlie Xue, Professor Xue Changli, Professor Zhang Zhongde.
Co-Associate Directors of CAIRC-CM: Professor Tony Zhang, Professor Zhang Lin, Professor Yang Zhimin.
Chinese members: Professor Guo Xinfeng, the Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research Service Team in GPHCM.

（2）Talent training

CAIRC-CM has trained 6 doctoral students and 6 doctoral students at RMIT. 18 visiting scholars were trained.

Progress in scientific research

（1）Papers and monographs

CAIRC-CM has published about 120 co-signed SCI papers, 29 “Chinese medicine clinical evidence-based monographs” in English and 6 in Chinese, which obtained special reports on the WHO website. CAIRC-CM has filled the gap in the world, and initially establishing the brand of evidence-based international cooperation research in Chinese medicine.

（2）Projects

Relying on the research work of the center, GPHCM has successively won the "13th Five-Year Plan" and "14th Five-Year Plan" national key research and development plans related to evidence-based medicine. Four international multi-center clinical trials have been conducted.

（3）Evidence promotion and guideline transformation

The main researchers of CAIRC-CM participated in the formulation of two group standards of the Chinese Association of Chinese Medicine: the weight management guide of Chinese medicine for obesity, and the guidelines for acupuncture treatment of pain with the China Grade Center of Lanzhou University.

（4）Exchange

In 2022, Professor Xue Changli, Co-Director of CAIRC-CM, was invited as one of the chairs of the World Health Organization's Expert Assessment Meeting on the Treatment of COVID-19 by Chinese Medicine. He was one of the main authors of the WHO report.