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Director's Message

The Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health (SINH) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is a national institution of basic and applied research focusing on healthy aging, major chronic diseases, nutrition and food safety, with emphasis on application and biotechnology development. It was founded in 2016 by merging four institutes and two centers of the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, CAS.   

Focused on human nutrition and health, SINH conducts multiple activities with the goal of contributing to social and economic development: As a research organization, it carries out academic activities; as a think tank, it advises on national health-related policies; and as an educational institution, it develops the next generation of researchers.   

China is facing new challenges posed by industrialization, urbanization, environmental and lifestyle changes as well as an increasingly aging population. To address these challenges, the Chinese government released its "Healthy China 2030" blueprint in 2016, aiming to satisfy citizens’ increased health expectations and build a healthy China over the next 15 years.    

Aligning scientific discovery and technological innovation with national priorities in nutrition and health, our scientists are conducting research in four major areas: prevention and control of chronic diseases, and healthy aging; nutrition and food safety; biomedical big data and health management; and information analysis in life sciences. With the goal of promoting health management services, the development of health care and bio-industry, our researchers are striving to make important discoveries and develop new products and technologies to improve nutrition and health.    

SINH comprises three CAS key laboratories, i.e., the CAS Key Laboratory of the Tissue Microenvironment and Tumor; the CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety; and the CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology. It also includes several supporting units.    

The institute currently has around 60 research groups led by principal investigators recruited from around the world. Our faculty members include academicians from CAS and the Chinese Academy of Engineering as well as the National Excellent Young Scholars Program, etc. They are provided substantial ongoing support and an open and vibrant environment for innovation.   

SINH also serves as a scientific think tank, with its Information Center for Life Sciences offering quality information services on life sciences and interdisciplinary fields to the government and society. It also promotes public understanding of science related to health and nutrition.    

Furthermore, we are committed to cultivating young researchers through well-designed graduate and postdoctoral programs. Currently, around 500 students are enrolled in graduate programs at SINH.     

SINH attaches great importance to cooperation and believes it is key to enhancing progress. SINH has established extensive and diversified forms of collaboration with universities, research institutes, hospitals and industry in China as well as abroad.      

We sincerely invite you to join us on this exciting journey of scientific exploration to improve human health and serve the public!   

LI Lin 
Scientific Director
Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences