About Academician Chen Guoqiang
Academician Chen Guoqiang (陈国强) is Professor, Doctoral Supervisor, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and one of China's most distinguished biomedical scientists and translational hematology researchers, based at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine — one of China's premier academic medical centers and the birthplace of the world-renowned all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) treatment protocols for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) that transformed a once-fatal cancer into one of the most curable malignancies in oncology. Academician Chen is internationally recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on the molecular biology of leukemia, the mechanisms of differentiation therapy and targeted therapy in hematological malignancies, and the translational research pipeline that connects fundamental discoveries in cancer cell biology to life-saving clinical treatments.
Academician Chen's election to the Chinese Academy of Sciences — China's highest honor in natural sciences, awarded to scientists whose work has made exceptional and lasting contributions to scientific knowledge — reflects the extraordinary impact of his research on the understanding of leukemia biology and the development of novel therapeutic strategies. His laboratory at Ruijin Hospital and Shanghai Jiao Tong University has been at the forefront of research into the molecular mechanisms by which ATRA and ATO induce differentiation and apoptosis in APL cells, the role of PML-RARα and other fusion oncoproteins in leukemogenesis, and the development of novel targeted therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other hematological malignancies based on insights from fundamental cancer biology.
Clinically, Academician Chen works within the world-renowned hematology program at Ruijin Hospital — the institution where Wang Zhenyi and Chen Zhu pioneered the ATRA and ATO protocols that cured APL — providing expert consultation for patients with complex hematological malignancies, particularly APL, AML, and other leukemias where translational insights from his research program are directly applicable to clinical decision-making. His consultations are particularly valuable for patients with refractory or relapsed leukemia, patients with rare leukemia subtypes, and patients seeking access to investigational therapies through Ruijin Hospital's active clinical trials program.
Hospital Affiliation: Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Ruijin Hospital (瑞金医院), affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, is one of Shanghai's most prestigious and historically significant academic medical centers and a global leader in hematology, endocrinology, and general medicine. The Department of Hematology at Ruijin Hospital is a national key clinical specialty and one of the most celebrated hematology programs in the world, internationally renowned for the development of ATRA and ATO differentiation therapy for APL — a discovery that has saved hundreds of thousands of lives globally and is recognized as one of the most important advances in oncology of the 20th century.
The department manages a high volume of complex hematological malignancy cases annually, including AML, APL, ALL, CML, CLL, lymphoma, myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and operates an active bone marrow transplantation program, a CAR-T cell therapy program, and one of China's most active hematology clinical trials programs. The department maintains research collaborations with hematology centers at Harvard, MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and leading European institutions, and is consistently ranked as one of the top hematology programs in Asia.
Clinical Expertise & Research Focus
- Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) — ATRA plus ATO-based differentiation therapy; management of high-risk APL; management of APL in pregnancy; management of APL-related coagulopathy and differentiation syndrome; salvage therapy for relapsed APL; molecular monitoring of PML-RARα for minimal residual disease (MRD); long-term follow-up and late effects of APL therapy
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) — molecular subtyping and risk stratification (FLT3, NPM1, CEBPA, IDH1/2, RUNX1, TP53); targeted therapy with FLT3 inhibitors (midostaurin, gilteritinib), IDH inhibitors (enasidenib, ivosidenib), venetoclax combinations; intensive induction and consolidation chemotherapy; allogeneic stem cell transplantation coordination; management of relapsed and refractory AML; access to investigational agents through clinical trials
- Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) — diagnosis and risk stratification (IPSS-R, IPSS-M); hypomethylating agent therapy (azacitidine, decitabine); lenalidomide for del(5q) MDS; venetoclax combinations; allogeneic stem cell transplantation for high-risk MDS; management of MDS transformation to AML
- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) — TKI therapy selection and optimization (imatinib, dasatinib, nilotinib, bosutinib, ponatinib, asciminib); molecular monitoring and treatment-free remission (TFR) strategies; management of TKI resistance and intolerance; blast crisis management
- Lymphoma and myeloma — coordination with Ruijin Hospital's lymphoma and myeloma specialists for complex cases; access to CAR-T cell therapy programs; bispecific antibody therapy; novel immunotherapy combinations
- Translational oncology consultation — expert interpretation of molecular and genomic profiling results for patients with hematological malignancies; identification of actionable mutations and matched targeted therapies; evaluation of clinical trial eligibility at Ruijin Hospital and affiliated institutions; second opinion on treatment strategy for refractory or relapsed leukemia
- Expert second opinion — review of bone marrow biopsy, cytogenetics, molecular profiling, and treatment records for patients with AML, APL, MDS, or other hematological malignancies who are seeking a second opinion on diagnosis or treatment strategy; written English-language second opinion reports available through CMCS
Academic Leadership & Research Contributions
Academician Chen Guoqiang is one of the most prolific and internationally cited biomedical researchers in China. He has authored and co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications in Chinese and international journals, including landmark contributions to Nature Medicine, Nature Cell Biology, Blood, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Cancer Cell, PNAS, and Chinese Medical Journal. His research has elucidated the molecular mechanisms by which ATRA and ATO induce differentiation and apoptosis in APL cells through degradation of the PML-RARα oncoprotein, identified novel therapeutic targets in AML based on the biology of leukemic stem cells and epigenetic regulation, and contributed to the development of next-generation differentiation and targeted therapies for hematological malignancies.
Academician Chen has served as editor-in-chief and editorial board member of multiple Chinese and international hematology and cancer biology journals, and has been a principal investigator on major national research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the National Key Research and Development Program, and the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission. He has been a keynote speaker at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, the European Hematology Association (EHA) congress, and major international cancer biology conferences, and is recognized globally as one of the most influential voices in leukemia biology and translational hematology.
Academician Chen has trained more than 80 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows who now lead research and clinical programs at major institutions across China and internationally, and his laboratory at Ruijin Hospital continues to be a global center for leukemia biology research. His election to the Chinese Academy of Sciences reflects the transformative impact of his research on the understanding of cancer cell differentiation and the development of targeted therapies for leukemia.
Why International Patients Choose Academician Chen Guoqiang
For international patients with a diagnosis of APL, AML, or other hematological malignancies — particularly those with refractory or relapsed disease, rare leukemia subtypes, or complex molecular profiles where standard treatment algorithms are insufficient — consultation with Academician Chen at Ruijin Hospital offers access to a level of translational expertise and clinical trial opportunity that is available at only a handful of centers worldwide.
Ruijin Hospital's hematology program is the birthplace of the ATRA and ATO protocols that cured APL, and its ongoing research program continues to generate novel therapeutic insights that are translated directly into clinical practice. For patients with APL — including those with high-risk disease, relapsed APL, or APL occurring in unusual clinical contexts such as pregnancy or extreme old age — Ruijin Hospital's unmatched experience with this disease and Academician Chen's deep understanding of APL biology provide a level of expertise that is genuinely unique.
For patients with AML or MDS who have failed standard therapy and are seeking access to investigational agents or novel combination strategies, Ruijin Hospital's active clinical trials program — which includes trials of novel FLT3 inhibitors, IDH inhibitors, venetoclax combinations, CAR-T cell therapies, and bispecific antibodies — provides access to cutting-edge treatments that may not yet be available or approved in the patient's home country. Treatment costs at Ruijin Hospital are substantially lower than equivalent care in Western healthcare systems, and the speed of access to specialist consultation and molecular diagnostic workup is typically far faster than in public healthcare systems abroad. CMCS has coordinated hematology consultations for patients from North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East through Ruijin Hospital's hematology program.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Consultations with Academician Chen begin with a comprehensive review of all prior diagnostic results — including bone marrow biopsy and aspirate reports, cytogenetics (karyotype and FISH), molecular profiling (next-generation sequencing panel, RT-PCR for fusion genes and mutations), flow cytometry immunophenotyping, complete blood count trends, and all prior treatment records including chemotherapy regimens, response assessments, and transplant history. CMCS will arrange certified translation of all medical records, laboratory reports, and pathology results in advance of the consultation.
Academician Chen will assess the diagnosis and molecular subtype, evaluate the adequacy of prior treatment and the reasons for treatment failure where applicable, outline the recommended treatment strategy — including the role of targeted therapy, clinical trial participation, and allogeneic stem cell transplantation — with detailed rationale, and provide a realistic assessment of expected outcomes. A multidisciplinary hematology team review involving bone marrow transplantation, CAR-T cell therapy, and molecular diagnostics will be coordinated as appropriate. A written English-language consultation summary — including diagnostic assessment, molecular interpretation, recommended treatment plan, and follow-up protocol — is provided after every appointment, and CMCS will facilitate direct communication between Academician Chen's team and the patient's home hematologist for continuity of care planning.
Book a Consultation Through CMCS
China Medical Concierge Shanghai (CMCS) provides comprehensive end-to-end support for international patients seeking hematology consultation with Academician Chen Guoqiang at Ruijin Hospital. Our services include priority consultation scheduling with Academician Chen's team and the multidisciplinary hematology program, certified medical record and laboratory report translation, pre-consultation molecular and pathology review by our clinical coordinators, hospital logistics and admission coordination, visa and travel support, accommodation recommendations near Ruijin Hospital, on-site interpretation throughout the consultation and treatment process, pharmacy and chemotherapy coordination, and ongoing follow-up coordination between Academician Chen's team and the patient's home hematologist after return.
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