The Medical Research Institute (MRI) was founded by Wuhan University in April 2014 and is housed in the newly built Double-Lake Research Tower on the medical school campus. In 2018, leveraging the foundation laid by the MRI, Wuhan University integrated relevant strengths across the campus to establish the Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism. This center was accredited by the Chinese Ministry of Education in December 2019. Dr. Hong-Bing Shu, an elected member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, serves as the first director of MRI, and the Chief Scientist of the Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism.

Our mission is to build a world-class medical research center that carries out collaborative, multidisciplinary, and disease-oriented research to improve disease treatment and human health. We are also dedicated to training future generations of biomedical scholars and scientists. The core goals are to “CURE”: Collaborate across multiple disciplines, Uncover disease mechanisms, Research thoroughly, and Empower scientists.

We strongly encourage our scientists to collaborate with internal colleagues, clinicians in affiliated hospitals, and scientists and clinicians worldwide. To foster these collaborations, the center organizes many seminar series to encourage science communications. It also provides internal funding and administrative support to facilitate collaborative activities. Research activities conducted at the Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism accelerate the understanding of the molecular basis of human diseases and translate discovery into effective prevention and treatment. It has created an environment in which scientists can take high risks, dare to test bold ideas, and fully use their talents to make fundamental discoveries.