The first editor-in-chief (1984—1993): Professor Yue Yilun
Professor Yilun Yue (1919.9.20–2016.10.5), was the founder and main pioneer of Biomedical Engineering in Sichuan University, who was also known as the founder editor-in-chief of Journal of Biomedical Engineering. He was born in Lushan county, Sichuan province, on September 20, 1919. He graduated from West China Union University (now West China Center of Medical Sciences, Sichuan University) at the age of 22, acquiring his Bachelor degree in Chemistry, and then taught in the same university. At 25 years old, he obtained Procter scholarship of Leeds University, UK, and studied in Department of Leather Industry, Leeds University. At 28, He received his Ph.D. in Leather Engineering. In the same year (1947), he returned China and served as an associate professor at Department of Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University. He participated to establish the first plastic plant of China in Chongqing from 1952 to 1953. Thereafter, he worked as a full professor at Sichuan College of Chemical Engineering (note that this college later was combined into Chengdu College of Engineering, which was renamed Chengdu University of Science and Technology in 1978, and was combined into Sichuan University in 1994). From 1956 to 1962, he carried out researches in histology of pigskin at Leather Teaching and Research Section of Chengdu College of Engineering, becoming a pioneer researcher in leather histology in China, and thereby laying a foundation of pigskin leather industry of China. From 1962 to 1977, he changed to be a professor in Synthetic Rubber Teaching and Research Section, Department of Polymer Materials and Engineering. Within this period, from spring of 1965 to summer of 1966, he took part in a major battle for neoprene rubber, reconstructing the manufacturing system and enhancing the annul product from 2000 tons to 10,000 tons.
In 1978, he firmly changed his research domain and established the first Biomedical Engineering discipline of China at Chengdu University of Science and Technology. For exploring the new discipline, he started from nothing and went through various kinds of hardships, and finally cultivated many talents in Biomedical Engineering for China and accomplished tremendous achievements. From 1978 to 1986, he led the project of “polyurethanes for artificial hearts”. In April 1984, he founded Journal of Biomedical Engineering. From 1983 to 1993, he presided “preparation of artificial heart valves from Yak pericardium”. During this period, he initially used glycidyl ethers and multivalent cations as composite crosslinking agents for Yak pericardium, delaying the calcium mineralization in the Yak pericardium heart valves. The as-prepared heart valves had been implanted into 100 patients clinically, with high survival rates comparable to other biological heart valves developed abroad. In 1994, he successfully developed a target delivery system for liver cancer therapy, called “implantable MT drug delivery device”, which were used to treat about 10,000 patients clinically in two years. From 1990 to 2000, he presided two projects, “modified polyethersulfone biomedical materials” and “hemodialyzer from polyethersulfone hollow fibers”. The outcomes from these two projects has led to commercialization of polyethersulfone artificial kidney in China, with an additional contribution from his Ph.D. student Changsheng Zhao (now professor in Sichuan University). In June 2009, he went to the USA and lived with his daughter there. In 2010, at the age of 91, he received “Lifelong Contribution Award” from Biomedical Engineering Association of China. On October 5, 2016, he passed away due to illness, at the age of 97.
The second editor-in-chief (1993—2014): Professor Huaiqing Chen
Professor Huaiqing Chen, doctoral supervisor, post-doctoral mentor. He is the professor of Institute of Biomedical Engineering, West China Medical Center, Sichuan University, and the first director of Profession Committee of West China School of Basic Medical Science & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University. He was graduated from Peking University in Department of Human and Animal Physiology acquiring his B.S. degree in 1963, then obtain M.S. degree in Physiology from First Shanghai Medical Collage in 1966. He went to The Lab of Biorheology, New Jersey Institute of Technology as visiting scholar during 1982—1984.
Professor Chen has long been engaged in scientific research and teaching jobs in Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University. He has successively served as director of institute, director of Scientific Research Office, and assistant principal. In addition, he has been engaged as chief editor of Journal of Biomedical Engineering, member of Editor Committee for Responsibility of Journal of West China University of Medical Science, member of Editor Committee of Biomedical Engineering, and Clinical Medicine, and specially invited editor of Foreign Medical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering Fascicle.
Professor Chen has many important professional affiliations, including member of Permanent Council of Chinese Society of Biomedical Engineering, Member of Profession Committee of Biomechanics, Chinese Society of Mechanics, Member of Profession Committee of Biomechanics and Biorheology, Chinese Society of Biophysics, Member of Profession Committee of Microcirculation and Blood Rheology, Chinese Society of Pathophysiology, Member of Profession Committee of Biomaterial, Chinese Society of Biomedical Engineering, Member of Profession Committee of Biocompound Materials, Chinese Society of Compound Materials, Vice-chief Director of Sichuan Province Society of Biomedical Engineering, Member of Council of Sichuan Province Society of Physiology, and member of No.6-7 Occasion Subject Appraising Group, National Natural Science Foundation of China. He has won the first grade of Sichuan Province Science and Technology Achievement Awards, by “The comprehensive research of acute necrotic pancreatitis”, the first grade of Sichuan Province Science and Technology Achievement Awards by “The research of thixotropy of Chinese blood and its clinic meaning”, and the Third Grade of Ministry of Public Health Science and Technology Achievement Awards by “The normal range of Chinese blood viscoelastic parameters and its clinic application”.
Professor Chen has over 300 papers published in famous scientific journals and participated in writing seven academic monographs. He has got the support of 10 scientific research fund projects, including 7 major national science and technology projects. During his teaching career for decades, Professor Chen has trained 13 post-doctoral, 27 doctoral and 13 master's graduate students.
The third editor-in-chief (2014—2016): Professor Yingkang Shi
Professor Yingkang Shi, director of Institute of Hospital Management, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and president of Council of West China Medicine Technology Transfer Center. He is the Ph.D. supervisor in Cardio-vascular Surgery, Hospital Management and Medical Informatics. He graduated from Medicine Department of Sichuan Medical College in 1977 and obtained master degree there in 1982. During 1989 and 1991, he went to Maryland, USA as a visiting scholar at NHLBI of NIH. He was specially promoted as associate professor and professor in 1988 and 1992 respectively. In 1992, he was appointed as director of Cardio-vascular Department. In the next year, he was approved as Ph.D. supervisor in Cardio-vascular Surgery by Academic Degree Commission of the State Council and appointed as dean and president of First School of Medicine and First University Hospital of West China University of Medical Sciences at the end of 1993. From 1993 to Jan 2013, he has been dean of West China School of Medicine and president of West China Hospital, Sichuan University.
Professor Shi has many titles in important associations and societies, including member of Deepening Medical Health System Reform Expert Advisory Committee of the State Council, member of Public health policy expert advisory committee of National health and family planning commission, member of TCM Reform Consultant Committee of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, vice president of Chinese Hospital Association, standing committee member of Chinese Medical Association, chairman of Chinese Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of CMA, vice president of Cross-Straits Medicine Exchange Association, vice chairman of Higher Clinical Medicine Education Guiding Committee of Ministry of Education, members of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of Sichuan University, vice president of Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of Medical Discipline of Sichuan University, president of clinical academic degree evaluation committee of Sichuan University.
Current editor-in-chief (since 2017): Professor Hong Li
Professor Hong Li, a doctoral supervisor, is serving as the director of Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University. He was graduated from the School of Medicine of Sichuan Medical College (Sichuan University) in 1982. Prof. Li has successively served as resident physician, lecturer, associate professor, professor, associate and chief director of the Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of West China Medical University from 1982 to 1999. He had been promoted to master's and doctoral mentor in 1995 and 2000, respectively. Further, he had been appointed as vice president and executive vice president of Sichuan University from 2000 to 2017.
Professor Li has long been engaged in clinical, scientific research and teaching jobs of Urology with high achievements in urethral stricture, urinary calculi, prostate diseases and urologic neoplasms. Prof. Li is especially good at the basic and clinical research of urinary system repair and reconstruction, leading the establishment of Chinese Union of Urological Repair and Reconstruction. He is the team leader of editor group of the National Guidelines for Treatment of Urological Diseases - Urological Injuries of Chinese Medical Association Urology Branch and the deputy leader of editor group of the National Guidelines for Treatment of Urological Diseases - Urinary Calculi of Chinese Medical Association Urology Branch. Prof. Li has 94 papers published in SCI or statistical source journals and participated in writing nine national and provincial academic monographs. He has won one first prize of Advances in Science and Technology of Sichuan Province, two awards for Scientific and Technological Advancements and one second prize of science and technology of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. He won the Diamond Award of Chinese Medical Association Urology Branch in 2006, the Excellent Paper Award of National Congress of Urology in 2009 and the Outstanding Contribution Award of Urology of Global Chinese Urology in 2013. He has obtained the support of 23 scientific research fund projects, including two major national science and technology projects with a total amount of funding of approximately RMB 63.985 million, as well as has trained nearly 50 doctoral and master's graduate students.
Currently, Professor Hong Li is the deputy leader of the Calculus Group of the Chinese Medical Association Urology Branch, the director of Center for Prevention and Control of Urolithiasis in Southwest China, the Sichuan Medical Association Urology Branch. He is serving as the editor-in-chief of Journal of Biomedical Engineering, associate editor of Journal of Modern Urology, editorial board members of Chinese Journal of Urology, Journal of Contemporary Urologic and Reproductive Oncology, Journal of Clinical Urology, and Practical Journal of Clinical Medicine.