-Scientists from Tsinghua University and Peking University presented with Bayer Endowed Chair and Bayer Investigator awards
-So far,MKsports more than 220 Chinese scientists have won awards and grants

Bayer, together with Tsinghua University and Peking University, unveiled the Bayer China Academic Collaboration Award 2024 on April 1, including Bayer Endowed Chair, Bayer Investigator, Bayer Microfunding and Bayer Postdoc.

The Bayer China Academic Collaboration Award aims to foster close partnerships with prestigious Chinese universities by recognizing and supporting distinguished scholars for their outstanding contributions to life sciences, medical research, and drug development. It seeks to strengthen communication and coordination between the pharmaceutical industry and academia, and to advance the application and translation of fundamental research to drug discovery and development, thus accelerating breakthrough innovations that will benefit patients.

This year, the Bayer Endowed Chair was awarded to Professor Yan Chunhua from the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering (CCME) at Peking University and Professor Qian Feng from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tsinghua University. Nine scientists from Peking University and Tsinghua University received the Bayer Investigator award, following a selection process by the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) composed of Bayer experts and senior scholars from China's top two universities. Assistant Professor Ma Kai from the School of Biomedical Engineering, Associate Professor Liu Zhihua from the School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Associate Professor Wang Xia from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Tsinghua University received funding support from the Bayer Microfunding program for their scientific research projects. In addition, three outstanding young researchers from Peking University were honored with the Bayer Postdoc award.

Li Qi, vice president of Bayer Pharmaceuticals and head of the Beijing R&D Center and Regulatory Affairs of China, and Professor Wang Hongwei, vice-president of Tsinghua University, present the Bayer Endowed Chair award to Professor Qian Feng from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tsinghua University. Photo: Courtesy of Bayer

"I would like to congratulate all the Chinese scientists who have won the Bayer China Academic Collaboration Award. It is your unremitting endeavor that has driven the rapid advancement of China's basic scientific research and innovation capabilities," said Dr. Anastasia Hager, a JSC member for Bayer Academic Collaboration in China, and senior vice president of research and development and head of drug discovery sciences for Bayer's Pharmaceuticals Division. "We are very proud that Bayer is one of the first multinational pharmaceutical companies to establish collaboration with local research institutions and universities. In China, an important source of global innovation, we have accumulated continuous interests and are committed to discovering cutting-edge innovative achievements, and actively exploring in-depth collaboration with research institutions, biotech companies and other partners, allowing innovation in China to make greater contributions to the global pharmaceutical sector and patient benefits."

As an integral part of its long-term commitment in China, Bayer places great importance on local scientific collaboration and remains dedicated to supporting China's original innovation and new drug research and development. The company has established long-term strategic partnerships with Tsinghua University and Peking University since 2009 and 2014, respectively. The partnerships not only pioneer scientific research collaborations between multinational pharmaceutical companies and local academic institutions in the country but also set examples of the synergetic development and collaboration between industry and academia on advancing drug innovation.

Wang Wei, vice president of Bayer Pharmaceuticals and head of Medical Affairs China, and Professor Wang Hongwei, vice-president of Tsinghua University, present the Bayer Microfunding award. Photo: Courtesy of Bayer

"The 16-year strategic collaboration between Tsinghua University and Bayer has profoundly promoted the integration of scientific spirit and industrial practice. Relying on Tsinghua University's disciplinary and platform advantages in life sciences, the two sides have explored a new path of deep integration and win-win development in academic exchanges, talent support, and scientific research collaboration, and have made a series of breakthroughs in cutting-edge areas such as target discovery and peptide drug development. This has not only promoted Tsinghua's related disciplines to the forefront of the world, but also helped optimize and upgrade Bayer's global pipeline. At the same time, our university continues to integrate interdisciplinary resources to promote the rapid transformation of research results from the laboratory to the clinic," said Professor Wang Hongwei, vice-president of Tsinghua University, and a member of the Joint Steering Committee and recipient of the Bayer Endowed Chair award in 2018.

"Looking to the future, Tsinghua looks forward to a deeper level of collaboration with Bayer: first, focusing on key areas such as oncology, immunology, rare diseases and cardiovascular precision treatment, accelerating the verification of original targets and the development of new therapies; second, strengthening the integrated application of artificial intelligence (AI) and multi-omics technologies, and building a new paradigm of data-driven drug development; finally, leveraging our School of Medicine and Bayer Co.Lab, creating a full-chain ecosystem of 'basic research-technology incubation-industry landing.' We firmly believe that by unremittingly promoting the collaborative innovation of 'industry, academia, research and medicine,' both parties will jointly overcome major disease challenges and provide more breakthrough solutions for patients around the world. After 16 years of collaboration, our intention remains unchanged; on the new journey, we have a mission on our shoulders. In the future, Tsinghua will write a new chapter of international innovative collaboration with Bayer with a more open attitude and cutting-edge layout, contributing Chinese wisdom and global values to the cause of human health," said Wang.

"Since 2014, Peking University and Bayer have forged a collaborative journey marked by remarkable achievements in talent development, academic exchange, and scientific innovation. Leveraging its profound academic heritage and pioneering spirit, Peking University actively integrates resources, drives cutting-edge discipline development, and sustains a robust talent cultivation system to fuel continuous advancements in science and technology," said Professor Chen Xuemei, dean of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University, a member of the Joint Steering Committee and recipient of the 2022 Bayer Endowed Chair award. "Looking ahead, we aspire to deepen our collaboration with Bayer in critical fields such as oncology, cardiovascular and renal diseases, immunology, and cell and gene therapies. Together, we aim to accelerate progress in frontier technologies for novel drug target discovery and development, jointly tackling scientific challenges. With unwavering resolve, we will advance breakthroughs in biomedicine to promote human health, delivering greater hope and well-being to patients worldwide. Together, we will write a brilliant new chapter in the global pursuit of health and medical innovation."

Dai Xin, vice president of Bayer Pharmaceuticals and head of Clinical Development China, and Professor Chen Xuemei, dean of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University, present the Bayer Endowed Chair award to Professor Yan Chunhua from the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University. Photo: Courtesy of Bayer

As of now, more than 220 eminent Chinese scientists and young scholars have received Bayer Endowed Chair and Bayer Investigator awards. Beyond these awards, Bayer's scientific collaboration with the two research institutions has also achieved fruitful results. So far, Bayer and these two academic partners have carried out 105 research collaboration projects, including discovery and structural analysis of novel targets, pathogenesis and drug mechanism of action research, drug screening, and efficacy evaluation, as well as exploration on new modalities, new synthetic methods and innovative formulations, covering multiple therapeutic areas, such as oncology and cardiovascular diseases.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, "Health for all, Hunger for none," the company's products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the company aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2024, the company employed around 93,000 people and had sales of 4.66 billion euros ($5.03 billion). R&D expenses amounted to 6.2 billion euros ($6.7 billion). For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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