Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences traces its origins to the Hsiang-Ya Medical College founded in 1914 and has grown steadily with the century-old Xiangya legacy. As one of the birthplaces of modern basic medical sciences in China, it has developed into a training and research base for advanced medical professionals integrating education, scientific research, and social services.

The school currently covers three first-level disciplines: Basic Medical Sciences, Biology, and Forensic Medicine. It consists of 10 departments (Department of Physiology, Department of Pathology, Department of Pathophysiology, Department of Immunology, Department of Human Anatomy and Neurobiology, Department of Histology and Embryology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Department of Forensic Medicine, Department of Medical Parasitology, Department of Biomedical Engineering), two research institutes (Cancer Research Institute, Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering), and six teaching laboratories. It has more than 200 faculty and staff members, and 97% of full-time teachers hold doctoral degrees. The Postdoctoral Research Station for Basic Medical Sciences has been awarded the title of “National Excellent Postdoctoral Research Station”.

Committed to the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education and upholding the principle of quality-oriented education, the school actively explores and improves systems and mechanisms for educational reform, and builds new models for talent cultivation. It is home to one national-level teaching team and one Ministry of Education Exemplary Teaching Team for Curriculum Ideology and Politics. The school has developed 1 national-level bilingual education demonstration course, 2 national-level elite open video courses, 6 national-level elite resource-sharing courses, 13 national-level first-class courses, and 1 Ministry of Education Exemplary Course for Curriculum Ideology and Politics. Over the past five years, faculty members have served as chief or deputy chief editors of more than 40 textbooks. Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine have been approved as National First-Class Undergraduate Major Construction Sites. The school has been honored as an “Advanced Collective of the National Education System” and selected into the National Basic Disciplines Top Talent Program 2.0 Base.

Supported by disciplinary clusters, the school focuses on major national and social needs, deeply integrates into the national medical and health innovation system, carries out high-level scientific research and talent training through university-internal and external collaborative innovation, and actively promotes the development of research platforms and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. It hosts more than 20 national and provincial/ministerial-level teaching and research platforms, including the National Engineering Research Center of Human Stem Cells. Over the past five years, the school has been granted more than 300 research projects at or above the provincial and ministerial level, and published a number of high-impact research papers in top international journals such as Science, Cell, BMJ, NEJM, Nature Genetics, and Cell Metabolism. Clinical Medicine, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Biology & Biochemistry, and Genetics & Molecular Biology rank among the global top 0.1% in ESI, while Immunology and Microbiology rank among the global top 1%.

Adhering to the Xiangya spirit of “Public Service, Courage, Diligence, Prudence, Sincerity Compassion, Modesty, and Integrity; Truth, Precision, Depth.and Specialization”, the school aims to build a world-class school of basic medical sciences. It will continue to deepen education and teaching reform, strengthen interdisciplinary integration, promote the close integration of basic research and clinical translation, cultivate top innovative basic medical talents with an international vision, innovative spirit, and practical ability, and make greater contributions to the Healthy China initiative and the progress of human medical science.