In the afternoon of November 8, a thematic event for the Guangdong science and technology community to learn and implement the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s “July 1st” important speech, organized by the Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology, Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, and Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Branch, was held at the Science Hall of the Guangdong Science Center. At the event, some titles and prizes were awarded, including 2021 “Excellent Scientific and Technological Worker of Guangdong Province”, the 16th Ding Ying Science and Technology Award of Guangdong Province, and “Rural Science and Technology Special Correspondent”.

Reviewed by the expert review committee of the 16th Ding Ying Science and Technology Award of Guangdong Province, and approved by the review working committee, 30 scientific and technological workers stood out from 125 valid candidates and won the 16th Ding Ying Science and Technology Award of Guangdong Province, including Prof. Zhong Wenzhao of our hospital.

Winners of the Ding Ying Science and Technology Award (sixth from the right was Prof. Zhong Wenzhao of our hospital)

Prof. Zhong Wenzhao has worked at the forefront of clinical medicine, teaching and research for over 20 years. He specializes in the exploration of multidisciplinary comprehensive therapies and innovative surgical technologies, attaches importance to the integrated development of clinical research, and is rigorous, practical and innovative academically. Based on the platform of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital and the Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, under the leadership of Prof. Wu Yilong, he focused on the major problems of high recurrence and metastasis of lung cancer, has established the artificial intelligent image-liquid early screening and triage system, and the perioperative period precise treatment mode for lung cancer, and led four projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation. He has published original findings on influential oncology journals, including Lancet oncol, J Clin Oncol*3, J Thorac Oncol*5, and J Extracell Vesicles, and the four major international cardiothoracic surgery journals, namely JTCVS, ATS, EJCTS and IVCTS. He has led the formulation of the Guidelines on Primary Lung Cancer of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, co-edited New Pathological Classification and Clinical Practice of Lung Adenocarcinoma, participated in the editing of the postgraduate textbook Cardiothoracic Surgery planned by the Ministry of Health, was invited to serve as chairman of the surgery session of the World Conference on Lung Cancer, and won the first prize of the 2020 Guangdong Award for Science and Technology Progress as the first author.

Prof. Zhong Wenzhao has been oriented to carrying out clinical work and solving practical problems to gain inspirations and thoughts for scientific research. He has original experience in treating difficult and severe diseases, and applying multidisciplinary therapies rationally. He receives over 3,500 lung cancer patients annually, has won many international and domestic surgical demonstration prizes, and is well received by patients.

Team of the Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute

Prof. Zhong Wenzhao is academically innovative. He has worked with multiple domestic centers to optimize convolutional neural network algorithms, develop AI recognition systems, and increase early-stage lung cancer diagnosis rate. He has established the preoperative planning system based on 3D reconstruction-fluorescence imaging analysis, and the lung adenocarcinoma pathological invasion model, and optimized operative strategies for lung cancer. Since 2019, as local lymphatic metastasis phase III lung cancer was difficult to treat and controversial, and had bad prognosis, he started multidisciplinary group practice for phase III lung cancer at home based on the center’s existing clinical research achievements to provide one-stop individualized services from diagnosis and treatment to follow-up to lung cancer patients from all over the country, improve patient prognosis and living quality, and promote the application of research achievements to clinical practice.

Winner profile

Prof. Zhong Wenzhao is a doctoral supervisor of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, a chief physician of the Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, director of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, deputy chairman of the Committee of Young Experts, leader of the lung cancer specialty, associate editor of the official journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, deputy leader of the Cancer Early Diagnosis and Treatment Group of the Chinese Medical Association, executive member of the Healthcare Big Data Committee of the Chinese Hospital Association, and deputy chairman of the Lung Oncology Branch of the Guangdong Medical Association.

Introduction to the Ding Ying Science and Technology Award of Guangdong Province

The Ding Ying Science and Technology Award of Guangdong Province is a science and technology award established by the Guangdong Provincial Association for Science and Technology in 1989 with the approval of the provincial government, and named after famous Chinese scientist and academician Ding Ying in order to inherit and develop his academic achievements and lofty virtue. This award recognizes middle-aged and young talents who made outstanding contributions to the economic construction, social development, and scientific and technological progress of Guangdong Province to promote the growth of excellent middle-aged and young academic and technological leaders, and is presented every two years.

All winners are outstanding representatives of excellent middle-aged and young scientific and technological workers in Guangdong Province. Winners of this award from our hospital include Prof. Chen Yunying (1st edition), Prof. Yu Xiyong (8th edition), Prof. Wu Yilong (11th edition), Prof. Zhuang Jian (13th edition), and Prof. Zhong Wenzhao (16th edition). They keep seeking the truth, make selfless dedication, and serve the people out of their love for the motherland, combine personal value with the development of Guangdong scientific and technological cause, and are excellent role model in scientific morality and learning. They have made outstanding achievements in natural science and technology, and made positive contributions to the scientific and technological innovation, and economic and social development of Guangdong Province.

Cheng Meiling