In modern society, non-communicable chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions and diabetes have emerged as primary public health challenges. Over 60% of chronic disease incidence is directly linked to unhealthy lifestyle factors, including physical inactivity, poor diet, chronic stress, and sleep deprivation. Addressing this growing burden requires a fundamental transition from traditional "disease treatment" to comprehensive "health management"—prioritising early, proactive intervention long before clinical symptoms appear.

In a major step towards advancing chronic disease prevention and health management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Fuwai Hospital) formally launched the PolyU–Fuwai Hospital Research Institute for Lifestyle Medicine Innovation on 13 July 2026. The launch took place during a high-level exchange and joint signing ceremony at Fuwai Hospital’s West Campus in Beijing. The new Research Institute is a pioneering institute of its kind in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, integrating the interdisciplinary strengths of PolyU with Fuwai Hospital’s world-class clinical resources.

The launch builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two institutions on 25 March 2026. Under the agreement, PolyU and Fuwai Hospital agreed to deepen cooperation in interdisciplinary education, joint talent cultivation, collaborative scientific research and knowledge transfer, while developing a “Medicine-Research-Industry” integration model for lifestyle medicine. The establishment of the Research Institute marks the progression of this collaboration from strategic intent and mechanism building to the launch of a dedicated joint platform.

Co-directed by Prof. David Shum, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences at PolyU, and Dr Feng Xue, Director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Fuwai Hospital, the Research Institute brings together interdisciplinary expertise and top-tier clinical resources. By bridging the critical gap between laboratory R&D and clinical application, the Institute focuses on key research directions, including AI-driven chronic disease management systems, smart wearable rehabilitation sensors, functional foods for metabolic regulation, ageing-related health interventions, and non-invasive metabolic testing. Together, the two institutions will build a comprehensive, end-to-end translation pipeline, spanning laboratory research, hospital-based clinical validation and implementation in primary care, to deliver standardised, precision health interventions for populations across all life stages.

The collaboration also responds to major challenges in the development of lifestyle medicine, including the need for a more systematic health intervention ecosystem, stronger original research and technology translation capabilities, and a larger pool of specialised professionals. The two institutions will establish a multi-tiered joint talent development system for master’s and doctoral students, including joint clinical and research training and internship opportunities. They will also develop dedicated textbooks and academic journals, and prepare for the establishment of international and regional academic organisations, helping to strengthen the academic and professional foundations of lifestyle medicine.

Highlighting the strategic importance of this university-level initiative, PolyU President Prof. Jin-Guang Teng emphasised that lifestyle medicine offers broad development prospects and vital public well-being benefits. It directly supports the national "Healthy China" strategy and the "Healthy Hong Kong" initiative, leveraging cross-border synergies to lower the societal chronic disease burden, proactively address population ageing, and contribute a high-quality Chinese approach to global health management.