Department of Radiology

The Department of Radiology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital has established a comprehensive, advanced, and well-structured modern medical imaging system, consistently ranking among the top in the Fudan University version of the national hospital specialty reputation rankings. It has also excelled in national radiology quality control assessments. As one of the earliest radiology departments in China, it has been home to renowned radiologists such as Xie Zhiguang, Wang Shaoxun, Hu Maohua, Xie Yuzhang, Li Guozhen, Liu Yuqing, and Zhang Tieliang. The department pioneered various radiological diagnostic and therapeutic techniques in the country and has hosted numerous national professional training courses, making significant contributions to the development of radiology in China and the training of imaging professionals. In 2001, it was recognized as a national key discipline by the Ministry of Education and serves as a national continuing education base and a training base for resident physicians in Beijing. The department boasts a well-structured high-level professional technical team, including diagnostic, interventional, technical, nursing, and imaging AI research teams, with over 80% of physicians holding master's degrees or higher.

The department is equipped with dozens of large imaging diagnostic devices, including six of the world's most advanced dual-source CTs, one 640-slice CT, one 256-slice CT, one spectral CT, one 64-slice spiral CT, two 16-slice spiral CTs, ten MRI machines (including 3T ultra-high field MRI and 1.5T MRI), seven digital subtraction angiography machines, four fully digital gastrointestinal imaging machines, three fully digital mammography machines, two dual-energy X-ray bone densitometers, and over 40 other devices including computed radiography (CR), direct digital radiography (DR), and laser cameras. The department has fully implemented a PACS system for digital diagnosis, image management, storage, and self-service distribution.

The department excels in both diagnosis and treatment, leading the country in the clinical application of multi-slice spiral CT and ultra-high field MRI. It is particularly noted for its early imaging diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, early imaging screening for lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer, early imaging diagnosis and preoperative resectability assessment of pancreatic tumors, comprehensive imaging diagnosis and postoperative evaluation of pituitary tumors, early imaging diagnosis and interventional treatment of acute ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, imaging research on rheumatic immune diseases and endocrine metabolic bone diseases, whole-body DWI assessment of tumor metastasis and systemic diseases, and various vascular and non-vascular interventional techniques across systems. The department conducts approximately 450,000 imaging examinations annually.

In the early 1980s, the department was among the first in the country to develop various interventional techniques, including cardiovascular interventional therapy, training a large number of personnel in this field and contributing significantly to the implementation and promotion of these techniques in China. Currently, it primarily conducts arterial and venous angiography across all body parts, percutaneous interventional treatment for congenital heart disease, endovascular stent treatment for thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms and dissections, carotid and intracranial vascular angioplasty and stenting, embolization for intracranial arteriovenous malformations and aneurysms, subclavian artery angioplasty, renal artery angioplasty, lower limb artery angioplasty, internal jugular vein dialysis catheter placement, deep vein access port placement, superior and inferior vena cava angioplasty, inferior vena cava filter placement, pulmonary embolism thrombolysis, hepatic vein angioplasty, and embolization for arteriovenous malformations in limbs. Additionally, it conducts transarterial chemoembolization for various tumors, including brain tumors, lung cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, gynecological tumors, and bone metastases, and has engaged in foundational and clinical research on percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation of solid tumors. The quantity and quality of interventional treatments rank among the best in the country. The department was the first in the country to establish a nursing unit for radiology, with the catheter room as a primary focus, and was among the first to open an interventional treatment outpatient clinic.

The department not only undertakes teaching responsibilities for eight-year undergraduate students at Peking Union Medical College but also trains graduate students, resident physicians, and specialists, as well as continuing education programs in imaging medicine. It is equipped with advanced teaching and experimental facilities, including a PACS research laboratory, radiological research laboratory, interventional basic laboratory, and multimedia classrooms. The teaching model emphasizes 'point-to-surface, foundational sweep, and point innovation.' While focusing on imparting fundamental knowledge of medical imaging, it also cultivates students' clinical logical thinking skills, enhances their bilingual communication abilities in the field, and introduces current cutting-edge research directions and the latest clinical application advancements.

The teaching achievements of the department include the following three aspects:

(1) Development of a series of textbooks, establishment of an online platform, and improvement of teaching resource databases. Focused on radiological diagnostics, several textbooks and teaching reference books have been compiled, with some awarded the title of Beijing-level excellent textbooks. Among them, the eight-year medical student textbook 'Medical Imaging' edited by Professor Jin Zhengyu has been updated to its third edition. After years of exploration, the teaching and research office has successfully established an integrated online platform for teaching, examination, evaluation, and management, achieving a new type of teaching that is personalized, multimedia, networked, and intelligent. Furthermore, the office has integrated abundant clinical case resources and teaching materials to develop the 'PUMCH Radiological Diagnosis Auxiliary Teaching Software,' which was recognized as a 'Teaching and Research Project of Peking Union Medical College' in 2011 and 2012.

(2) Reform of multimodal teaching. The application of new multimodal teaching methods such as group discussions, integrated teaching of anatomy-surgery-imaging, and self-study on online platforms has shifted the focus of teaching methods and objectives from rote memorization of knowledge points to cultivating clinical logical thinking, allowing students to build their understanding of imaging knowledge on logical deduction, thereby enhancing their ability to solve clinical problems. Preliminary research results have been published in 'Medical Teacher.'

(3) Upgrading and updating teaching aids. To enhance student participation and enthusiasm in the classroom, the teaching and research office has purchased and updated various teaching models related to different body systems. Among them, the imported advanced 'interactive feedback system' was recognized as a 'Teaching and Research Project of Peking Union Medical College' in 2012.

The teaching work of the department's teaching and research office has received unanimous recognition from students and educational authorities, achieving numerous teaching awards in recent years. In 2008, the teaching and research office was awarded the title of 'Beijing Excellent Teaching Team.' The 'Intelligent Question Bank' project was selected as a Beijing educational reform project in 2004 and received a Beijing Teaching Achievement Award. The 'Radiological Diagnostics' course for eight-year undergraduate students at Peking Union Medical College was rated as a Beijing Excellent Course in 2008 and 2011, selected as a National Excellent Course in 2010, and awarded the National Excellent Resource Sharing Course by the Ministry of Education in 2013. The 'Teaching Model Reform and Innovation - Radiological Diagnostics' won the First Prize for Higher Education Teaching Achievements in Beijing in 2012. The first and second editions of the eight-year 'Medical Imaging' textbook edited by Professor Jin Zhengyu were respectively awarded the title of Beijing Excellent Textbook in 2008 and 2011. Additionally, several teachers from the department's teaching and research office have been recognized as excellent teachers at the college or Beijing level.

The department has undertaken or participated in numerous national and provincial-level research projects, achieving a series of research results. In recent years, it has published hundreds of academic papers in internationally renowned radiology journals and domestic core journals, deeply engaging in international cutting-edge academic exchanges. As of 2015, the department has been involved in or completed one national-level project funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, one '863' project, one 'Huo Yingdong Special Fund' project, one National Natural Science Foundation project, one Ministry of Science and Technology '11th Five-Year Plan' key project, two '15th Five-Year Plan' key projects, two '9th Five-Year Plan' key projects, one '211' project, one key clinical project from the Ministry of Health, six projects from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and two projects funded by the CMB Foundation.

The department's main academic positions include: one Chair of the Radiology Society of the Chinese Medical Association, one Chair of the Imaging Technology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, one Vice Chair of the Osteoporosis and Bone Mineral Disease Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, one Chair of the Beijing Radiology Society, one Vice Chair of the Beijing Radiology Society, seven members of the Specialty Committee of the Chinese Radiological Society, one Vice Chair of the Youth Committee of the Chinese Radiological Society, nine members of the Youth Committee of the Chinese Radiological Society, one Secretary of the Youth Committee of the Beijing Radiology Society, one Vice Chair of the Beijing Interventional Radiology Committee, one Director and three members of the Radiology Specialty Committee of the Chinese Medical Imaging Technology Research Association, one member of the Interventional Committee of the Beijing Medical Association, one Secretary-General of the Medical Informatics Expert Committee of the Beijing Medical Association, one Leader and Secretary of the Radiological Diagnostics Specialty Group of the Beijing Resident Physician Training Base, one Executive Member of the Tumor Imaging Specialty Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, one Incoming Chair of the Medical Imaging Specialty Committee of the Chinese Women Physicians Association, six editors, deputy editors, and editorial board members of various core professional journals, and over ten peer reviewers for core journals and SCI journals.

The main clinical research projects currently underway in the department include: research on multi-slice spiral CT coronary imaging and cardiac function evaluation, renal CT perfusion and urinary system imaging, gastric and small intestine multi-slice spiral CT imaging, low-dose spiral CT for lung cancer screening and computer-aided diagnosis of pulmonary nodules, animal experiments and clinical studies on acute ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, comprehensive imaging diagnosis of pancreatic tumors, whole-body magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging, magnetic resonance functional imaging studies, high-resolution CT for lung function evaluation, multi-slice spiral CT simulated endoscopic imaging studies, multi-slice spiral CT pulmonary angiography and CT diagnosis of pulmonary embolism, multi-slice spiral CT vascular imaging, and CT brain perfusion imaging.

Additionally, the department is actively engaged in the development and research of molecular imaging and cutting-edge imaging technologies such as CT perfusion imaging, optical imaging, gene imaging, the development and application of new MRI scanning sequences, the production and evaluation of special MRI coils, and the research and clinical application of new interventional materials such as drug-eluting embolic microspheres and biodegradable, retrievable stents.

The department has also conducted extensive clinical research on PACS applications, including three-dimensional image reconstruction, fusion of various imaging modalities, computer-aided imaging diagnosis (CAD), and telemedicine consultations.

In recent years, the department has edited and published 11 imaging textbooks and monographs:

2003 'Peking Union Medical College Hospital Radiology Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines' People's Health Publishing House

2004 'Stereoscopic Pixel CT Imaging Atlas' (Bilingual) Science Publishing House

2005 'Medical Imaging' (Eight-Year Textbook) People's Health Publishing House

2006 'Medical Imaging' (Excellent Textbook) Peking Union Medical College Press

2007 'Ultra-High Field MR Whole-Body Application Atlas' Peking Union Medical College Press

2009 'Clinical Application Atlas of Whole-Body Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Oncology' (Bilingual) Science Publishing House

2009 'Multi-Slice Spiral CT Imaging Diagnostics' Science and Technology Literature Publishing House

2010 'Medical Imaging (Second Edition)' People's Health Publishing House

2010 'Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technology Guide' People's Military Medical Publishing House

2012 'Peking Union Medical College Hospital Radiology Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines (Second Edition)' People's Health Publishing House

2015 'Medical Imaging (Third Edition)' People's Health Publishing House

The department has established long-term collaborations with several renowned foreign universities, such as Harvard University, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and the University of Michigan, actively developing and researching cutting-edge imaging technologies. In recent years, it has sent numerous young and middle-aged physicians to prestigious medical centers abroad for further training, such as the University of Michigan Medical Group Radiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital Radiology Department affiliated with Harvard University, University of Southern California Hospital Radiology Department, UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center Radiology Department, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Radiology Department, and Mannheim Medical Center Radiology Department at Heidelberg University. They learn advanced medical imaging methods and adapt to current medical workflows, understand advanced research concepts, learn research methodologies, and actively participate in research work, as well as study the comprehensive residency training systems abroad and introduce advanced medical education, research, and management techniques into the department's practical work.

Furthermore, there are prospects for achieving data sharing of imaging teaching databases with foreign institutions in the near future, facilitating mutual visits for medical students and specialist physicians, and promoting the dissemination of internationally advanced imaging knowledge, information management, and information services, thus initiating preliminary discussions on the internationalization of imaging medicine education in China.