JinanUniversity Obesity andMetabolismFrontierForum Convenes Global Experts to Chart New Directions inMetabolic Research

March12—TheObesityandMetabolismFrontierForum,hosted by Jinan University,  convened  at  the  Shipai  Campus,  bringing  together  leading  metabolic disease  researchers  from  the  University  of  Toronto,  Peking  University,  Fudan University, Sichuan University, and other internationally renowned institutions. The forum centered on obesity and metabolic disorders—one of the most pressing global public  health  challenges  of  our  time—facilitating  in-depth  exchanges  on  frontier scientific achievements, core biological questions, and translational pathways from bench to bedside.

ProfessorChenGuobing, Dean of the School of Medicine, extended a warm welcome to the assembled scholars and highlighted the School's disciplinary strengths, research portfolio,  and talent cultivation outcomes in obesity  and metabolism. He encouraged students to seize this academic opportunity, deepen their expertise, and sharpen  their  research  acumen.  The  forum  was  co-organized  and  moderated  by Associate DeanFanJun,Associate DeanWangGuang,and ProfessorXuGeyangfrom the Department of Physiology.

The  plenary  session  featured four  high-impact keynote presentations that showcased breakthrough findings from decades of dedicated research:

Professor   Tony    Lam   (University    of   Toronto)    delivered   Feeding    and Glucoregulatory Effects of the Dorsal Vagal Complex, systematically dissecting the molecular  mechanisms  by  which  this   critical  brainstem   center   governs  feeding behavior and glucose homeostasis, while illuminating novel therapeutic targets for obesity  and  diabetes—offering  fresh  conceptual  frameworks  for  central  metabolic regulation.

ProfessorZhangWeizhen(Peking University) presented Can Intestinal LGR4 Be the Target for the Intervention of Obesity and MASLD?, probing intestinal nutrient transport   mechanisms   and    signal   transduction   pathways   to    evaluate   LGR4's translational  potential  in  combating  obesity  and  metabolic  dysfunction-associated steatotic  liver  disease,  effectively  bridging  fundamental  discovery  with  clinical intervention.

ProfessorZhaoTongjin(Fudan University) shared LAT2 Controls Obesity by Tuning  Digestive  Capacity,  addressing  the  marked  inter-individual  variability  in nutrient  absorption  efficiency  observed  clinically.  His  team  elucidated  the  precise molecular machinery governing fat absorption while advancing the development of targeted  inhibitors—charting  a  viable  pathway  toward  precision  therapeutics  for obesity.

ProfessorProfessorHeJinhan (Sichuan University) presented The Role  of MANF  in  Metabolic  Diseases,   comprehensively  mapping  MANF  protein's   core regulatory   mechanisms   in    energy   metabolism    and   homeostatic    maintenance, alongside   its   therapeutic   applications   across   metabolic   disorders—substantially expanding the horizons of targeted metabolic disease treatment.

The  presentations,   characterized   by   methodological   rigor   and   conceptual originality,  wove  together  insights  from  central  neural  control,  intestinal  nutrient absorption,  lipid  metabolism  regulation,  and  key  protein  function  to  construct  a coherent narrative of molecular pathogenesis, emerging drug targets, and translational progress in metabolic disease. Faculty and students engaged attentively throughout, with lively Q&A sessions generating vibrant scholarly dialogue. Participants noted that the forum's assembly of top-tier global expertise not only provided  systematic exposure to cutting-edge developments but also broadened academic horizons and sparked innovative research ideas—laying robust groundwork for subsequent study, project selection, and career planning.

The  successful  convening  of  this  forum  has  strengthened  Jinan  University's academic  and  research  partnerships  with  leading  institutions  worldwide,  while providing  young  scholars  with  an  unparalleled  platform  to  engage  with  frontier science and interact with field luminaries. By accelerating the exchange and clinical translation   of   metabolic   research,    the    forum    demonstrates    the   university's commitment  to  advancing  the  fight  against  metabolic  diseases  and  safeguarding public health through scientific excellence.