The Center for Clinical Molecular Medical Detection of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University has established in 2012 under the approval of the former Chongqing Municipal Health Bureau as “The Center for Clinical Molecular Medical Detection of Chongqing”. The center has been granted several significant designations over years, including “The First Batch of Pilot Units for High-Throughput Gene Sequencing for Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis”, “The Pilot Project for Gene Diagnosis Laboratory for Thalassemia Control and Prevention” by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, and a “Core Unit of the China Precision Medicine Clinical Research and Application Alliance”. The center is a comprehensive molecular diagnostics laboratory integrating clinical services, education, scientific research, and science translation.
The center has built a highly skilled, well-structured, and multidisciplinary team that spans several fields including clinical medicine, clinical laboratory diagnostics, pathology, pharmacology, molecular biology and bioinformatics. Currently, the team comprises 40 professionals, comprising 1 awardee of the Chongqing Outstanding Youth Honor, 2 honorees of Chongqing High-Level Mid-Career Talent Awards, and 1 awardee of the Chongqing Medical Young Talent Project Award. Focusing on major and challenging conditions such as cancer, rare genetic disorders, infections, prenatal screening, and genetic counseling, as well as common chronic diseases like cardiovascular disorders, endocrine metabolic diseases, the center has emerged as a regional leader in personalization of molecular diagnostics, driving transformative advancements in Western China's precision medicine landscape.
Department Group Photo
I. Clinical Services
(I) Advanced and Comprehensive Equipment
Occupying 1,200 square meters of advanced laboratory space, our center has established a comprehensive molecular diagnostics infrastructure comprising 4 specialized platforms: pathology technology, flow cytometry, gene amplification and high-throughput sequencing. The center is equipped with over 100 international advanced molecular diagnostic devices, with equipment value exceeding 20 million yuan, including microtome, fully automated immunohistochemistry analyzer, fluorescence in situ hybridization system, circulating tumor cell scanning and analysis system, fluorescent quantitative PCR system, digital PCR system, first-generation sequencer, high-throughput sequencer, nucleic acid mass spectrometer, flow cytometry sorting and analysis systems etc.
Pathology Technology Platform
Flow Cytometry Platform
Gene Amplification Platform
High-Throughput Sequencing Platform
The center adheres to the quality policy of “Efficiency, Standardization, Precision, and Innovation” and has established a comprehensive quality management system in accordance with gene amplification laboratory requirements. Having passed on-site inspection, the laboratory continuously operates under this integrated quality management framework to ensure the accuracy of diagnostic results.
(II) Clinical Services
The center offers over 200 molecular detecting servicess, including molecular pathology for solid tumors, MICM typing for hematological malignancies, genetic testing for rare inherited diseases and prenatal screening, pharmacogenomics and drug metabolism gene analyses. It receives specimens from the hospital, local institutions, and neighboring provinces (such as Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, etc.), with an annual testing volume exceeding 500,000 assays. The center has pioneered a multidisciplinary collaboration model directed at the precision diagnosis and treatment of major clinical diseases, laying a solid foundation for precision medicine. It has actively participated in domestic MDT (Multidisciplinary Team) lectures and academic exchanges, advancing 15 MDT teams in areas such as pulmonary nodules and lung cancer, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, hematological cancers, and thyroid cancer. As Chongqing's most comprehensive molecular diagnostics laboratory with the broadest service coverage, the center integrates advanced testing capabilities with translational research infrastructure, driving the advancement of personalized molecular diagnostics across western China.
(III) Personnel Team
The center has strategically prioritized disciplinary team development and talent cultivation over the past decade, establishing a professional cohort distinguished by exceptional competencies, optimized knowledge frameworks, and specialized domain expertise. This multidisciplinary team comprises professionals from clinical medicine, clinical laboratory diagnostics, pathology and pathophysiology, pharmacy, genetics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics. Currently, the team consists of 40 professionals, including 3 with senior titles, 12 with intermediate titles, 11 postdocs, 11 PhDs and 15 masters. The average age is 33. Among the team members, 18 possess clinical physician qualifications in pathology, and 21 are certified to teach undergraduate laboratory medicine courses. Furthermore, all laboratory technicians are fully certified for PCR operations.
Several members of the team hold academic leadership positions, serving as deputy directors or committee members on more than 10 national and provincial academic committees, such as the Molecular Diagnostics Group of the Chinese Society of Laboratory Medicine, the Tumor Markers Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, and the Molecular Diagnostics Committee of the Chinese Society of Research Hospitals.
II. Teaching Works
The center is staffed by 2 postdoctoral co-supervisors, 2 doctoral supervisors, and 3 master supervisors. It is responsible for training undergraduate interns in laboratory medicine and supervising theses, educating master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral students in clinical laboratory diagnostics, providing continuing education for laboratory medicine trainees and specialized training in molecular diagnostics. The center has contributed to the compilation of several key textbooks, including the “14th Five-Year Plan” National Undergraduate Textbook on Clinical Laboratory Instruments and Techniques, the national textbook Precision Medicine: Pharmacotherapy Guidelines, and co-authored books such as Molecular Detection and Clinical Applications in Precision Medicine and Clinical Precision Molecular Diagnostics published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press, and Commonly Used Molecular Biology Detection Techniques in Clinical Practice published by China Population Publishing House. To date, the center has trained over 20 master’s students, 6 doctoral students , while supervising more than 20 undergraduate theses. Notably, two students have been honored as Chongqing Outstanding Graduates, with their theses receiving the Chongqing Excellent Thesis Award. It has also trained over 40 advanced learners.
III. Scientific Research Works
The scientific core team of the center has long engaged in research focusing on new molecular diagnostics, HBV molecular biology, tumor markers and their clinical applications. They have developed 56 laboratory-developed tests (LDT) for clinical molecular diagnostics. The team has led over 30 national and provincial research projects, published 146 SCI-indexed papers, and secured at least 5 national and international patents. Additionally, they have contributed to 17 academic monographs. The team has been honored with titles such as Chongqing Outstanding Youth Fund Recipient, Chongqing High-Level Mid-Career Talents, and Chongqing’s Outstanding Young Medical Talents. They have won awards including the Ministry of Education’s Excellent Research Achievement Award, the First Prize in Chongqing’s Natural Science Awards, and the China Medical Science and Technology Award. Several team members also serve on editorial boards and as peer reviewers for numerous SCI journals.