On June 26, HPRD LAB delegation visited the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University in Thailand for a special academic exchange. The event centered on the development of Thailand’s traditional medicinal plant resources and innovation in natural medicines, aiming to build a platform for Sino-Thai pharmaceutical research cooperation.
Thailand boasts abundant, distinctive traditional medicinal plants, making it a core hub for natural medicine research in Southeast Asia. Studies on germplasm conservation, active ingredient extraction and modern R&D of these plants carry great scientific and practical value for inheriting and innovating traditional medicine, developing new drugs and advancing the healthcare industry.
At the exchange meeting, Deputy Dean Sitaporn Youngkong from Mahidol University’s Faculty of Pharmacy delivered a welcome speech. She outlined the faculty’s educational strengths, research platforms and leading position in pharmaceutical research across ASEAN.
Deputy Director Qian Jie gave an overview of KIB, introducing its research facilities and achievements in plant resources. Director Yao Ruyu presented a special report on HPRD LAB. He explained the lab’s core missions: protecting medicinal plant resources, studying their pharmacological mechanisms and exploring sustainable resource utilization. He shared the lab’s latest progress, including building medicinal plant databases, screening active compounds and ethnobotanical research in northern Thailand. He also put forward proposals for knowledge sharing, joint research projects and exchange visits for academic staff.
Attendees from both sides held in-depth discussions on key topics: conserving Thailand’s traditional medicinal plant, setting quality standards and industrializing plant resources. They exchanged research ideas and technical experience, reaching initial agreements on future cooperation.
After the meeting, the delegation toured the faculty’s research labs, tissue culture rooms and Medicinal Plant Information Center. They learned about the university’s systems for medicinal plant cultivation, experimental analysis and digital resource management.
This exchange linked the two institutions’ complementary research strengths, laying a solid foundation for joint research on tropical medicinal plants and the modernization of traditional medicine.
Scene of the exchange forum
Director Yao Ruyu Giving a Presentation
Group photo of all participants