Venue: Wynn Palace Macau
Date: May 20, 2026, afternoon
Organizers：Springer Nature, Macao Translational Medicine Center
In recent years, translational research related to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has grown rapidly, driven by new technologies and an expanding global network of cross-disciplinary collaborations. Advances in systems biology, mechanistic studies, network medicine, clinical evidence frameworks, quality standards for medicinal materials and computational modelling, are all reshaping the alignment of TCM with contemporary healthcare.
A growing number of high‑impact studies highlight the potential of TCM research to contribute to biomedical innovation. However, the absence of international standards remains a significant bottleneck restricting globalisation. Existing standards often focus on thresholds of chemical constituents, and lack direct correlation with pharmacological efficacy and clinical outcomes.
Establishing a scientific framework that links components, efficacy and clinical validation — and advances international standardisation of TCM products and materials — has therefore become a critical issue across both industry and academia.
This half‑day forum gathers leading global scientists to discuss research progress on TCM standardisation and translation, and explore how collaboration across disciplines and international cooperation can drive TCM towards evidence-based practice and global growth.
Speakers (in alphabetical order by last name)
PROF. DR. MUHAMMAD IQBAL CHOUDHARY
Mustafa (pbuh) Prize (Laureate)
(Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Tamgha-i-Imtiaz)
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary is the Coordinator General of OIC-COMSTECH (Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation), Distinguished National Professor of Bioorganic and Natural Product Chemistry and Senior Honorary Advisor at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry and Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research). He is also serving as the Vice President (Central & South Asia) The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) since 2022. Prof. Choudhary has, since 1990, been among the world leaders in the fields of natural product chemistry, and evidence based traditional medicine has made pioneering contributions in the discovery of novel natural products. He has discovered many potent anti-epileptic and anti- leishmanial compounds from indigenous medicinal plants that are under clinical trials. His contributions to reverse bacterial resistance to antibiotics represent seminal contributions in this important field. He leads the developing world's finest research center of natural product chemistry (H. E. J. Research Institute of Chemistry) since 2002, and has trained hundreds of young researchers, especially women, from across the Afro-Asian region in natural product chemistry. He has established several research centers in Pakistan, and helped to setup research units in Africa, and South and Central Asia. His scientific, and capacity building contributions have been recognized by prestigious national and international awards and honors, and fellowships of several academies of science. Prof. Choudhary has over 1,500 publications, impact factor of publications is over 4,000 (Citations 50,400, h index 89, i10 index 1072) in the fields of organic and bioorganic chemistry, along with 95 patents (64 US Patents), 98 books and 40 chapters in books, published by major U.S. and European presses. On the basis of his researches over 110 students have been awarded Ph. D. degrees in various areas of natural products and, bioorganic chemistry.
Thomas Efferth
Professor Dr. Prof. h. c. mult. Thomas Efferth is chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. He is a trained biologist (Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany) and completed his doctoral thesis at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany (1990).
He obtained 10 national and international scientific awards and is a member of the Academia Europaea (Academy of Europe) and the World Academy of Sciences, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (London). Efferth is an honorary/visiting professor at seven international universities. In 2022, he was a visiting professor (“professional visitor”) at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
Thomas Efferth published 900+ PubMed-listed papers in peer-reviewed journals in the field of cancer research, pharmacology, and natural products (Hirsch-factor: 125; citation rate: 83,000; acc. to Google Scholar). According to the Stanford Citation Ranking, he belongs to the top 2% most cited authors worldwide. He is editor-in-chief of “Phytomedicine” and “Phytomedicine Plus” as well as associate editor of several other pharmaceutical journals.
José Manuel Mendonça da Costa Faro - Portugal
Co-Founder, co-director and administrator of Lisbon School of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ESMTC) since 1992.
Professional Experience
Clinical practice - Acupuncture and TCM professional practitioner since 1988. Clinical Director of the TCM Clinical Center of ESMTC. Co-supervisor of TCM students clinical practice in this Center since 1994.
Curricular Organization and Teaching experience in different courses on Traditional Medicine and Complementary and Alternative Medicines since 1989. Teacher of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in ESMTC, in the following subjects (1994-2025): Basic TCM Theories, Diagnosis of TCM, Clinical Acupuncture, Topography of Meridians and Acupuncture points, Energetic Physiology, TCM Herbal Medicine, TCM Psychology and Qigong therapeutics.
Guidance and pedagogical training of TCM teachers (1998-2025).
Research Advisor – Co-Advisor of Master Degree thesis, including 5 teachers of TCM School, on Acupuncture and TCM Herbal Medicine, in collaboration with Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. Co-advisor of student’s research in TCM.
Editorial activity Collaboration in periodics and sites of MT/CAM.
Expert Advisor of Traditional and Complementary Medicine of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Organization, promotion and disclosure of TM/ CAM centers. Organization of TCM seminars and forums in 1993, 2002,2003,2004,2008 and 2011.
Professional Representation - Founder and President of the Professional Association of Acupuncture and TCM (APAMTC-2000). After 2014, representative of the TCM profession in the Consulting Board for non-conventional medicines of the Portuguese Ministry of Health (TM/CAM). President of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Federation of Therapeutic Taichi and Chikung.
Yao He
Director of the Macao Translational Medicine Centre, Vice President/Chair Professor/Doctoral Supervisor of Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Deputy Director of the State Key Laboratory of Mechanism and Quality of Chinese Medicine, Recipient of The National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the Leading Talent of the National High-Level Talent Special Support Programme.
Professor Yao He’s research focuses on traditional Chinese medicine, artificial intelligence and translational medicine in the field of nano biomedicine, providing new tools and methods for precision diagnosis and treatment of anti-ageing and related major diseases. As a postgraduate supervisor, he has supervised more than 70 postgraduate students to obtain master's/doctoral degrees (some of the graduates has gone on to pursue further studies or take up positions at renowned universities around the globel including Harvard University, the National University of Singapore and Shanghai Jiao Tong University); he has published over 200 academic papers, with more than 20,000 citations; he has granted or applied for more than 30 national patents; and he is the editor-in-chief of a monograph published in English (published by Springer); and his work has been featured in special reports by CCTV-1, CCTV-4, the People’s Daily, China Daily and Nature, among others.
Major Awards:
1. 2012, Selected as the member of "Young and Middle-aged Leading Talents in Science and Technology Innovation" in the Frist Innovative Talent Promotion Plan by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China,.
2. 2013, led the "National Major Scientific Research Programme for Young Scientists", as the principal investigator of the first "Youth 973" project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China.
3. 2014, selected as a Leading Talent in Science and Technology Innovation under the National High-level Talents Special Support Programme of the Ministry of Organisation of China (MOOC), i.e., a leading Talent of the National "Ten Thousand Talents Programme".
4. 2015, awarded "China Youth Leader" (recommended by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China).
5. 2015, selected as one of the "Top Ten Outstanding Contributors to China's Moderately Prosperous Society".
6. 2017, "China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Award" (ranked first)
7. 2017, First Prize of "Jiangsu Provincial Science and Technology Award" (ranked first)
8. 2018, Recipient of the ”National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars”
9. 2022, Recipient of the "China Youth Science and Technology Award".
Prof. Dr. Norberto Peporine Lopes
Membro da Academia Brasileira de Ciências e (Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences)
Academia de Ciências do Estado de São Paulo (Member of the Academy of Sciences of the State of São Paulo)
NPPNS - Núcleo de Pesquisa em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos (Research Center for Natural and Synthetic Products)
Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto)
Universidade de São Paulo (University of São Paulo)
He graduated in Industrial Pharmacy (1986) from the University of São Paulo (USP), and completed specialization studies in digitalis metabolism at the University of Tübingen, Germany (1989), and in lignoid biosynthesis at the University of Washington, USA (1993). He obtained his M.Sc. in Drugs and Medicines (1993) and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry (1997) from USP, and carried out postdoctoral training in mass spectrometry of natural products at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He is a Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and Full Professor at the Ribeirão Preto School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, where he coordinates the Research Center for Natural and Synthetic Products and the Mass Spectrometry Facility for Organic Micromolecules. He currently serves as Provost for Innovation at the University of São Paulo and Chief Financial Officer of the São Paulo State Academy of Sciences (ACIESP). Among his honors are the Jeremy Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Honor Medal of the Brazilian Society for Mass Spectrometry (2013), the SBQ Innovation Award “Fernando Galembeck” from the Brazilian Chemical Society (2015), and the USP Innovation Medal. He is a member of the Brazilian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Brazilian Society for Mass Spectrometry (BrMass), the Brazilian Chemical Society (SBQ), and the Brazilian Society of Pharmacognosy, as well as the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research (GA, Germany), and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). He has held several leadership positions in these societies, notably serving as President of the Brazilian Chemical Society.
Credit：Nature Portfolio
