Fetal Medicine Center

Fetal Medicine Center I. Department Introduction The Fetal Medicine specialty was established in 1985. It is one of the earlier units in China and one of the earliest units in Guangdong Province to carry out genetic disease diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis, and it is also one of the first batch of prenatal diagnosis technology training units approved by the Ministry of Health in China. It is currently a national prenatal diagnosis technology personnel training base designated by the Ministry of Health, and one of the three prenatal diagnosis technology personnel training bases in the province designated by the Provincial Health Department. In 1996, the specialty was designated as a key laboratory under the “Five-One Project” of Guangdong Province; in 2002 and 2008, it was designated as a specialty with distinctive characteristics of Guangdong Province; in 2008, it was designated as a key laboratory of Guangzhou; in 2010, it was designated by the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee to establish the “16th Asian Games Gender Identification Laboratory”; in 2012, it was recognized as a key clinical specialty of Guangdong Province; and in 2013, it was recognized as a key medical specialty of Guangzhou. The Fetal Medicine specialty consists of multiple departments, including prenatal genetic counseling, prenatal screening, prenatal ultrasound diagnosis, interventional prenatal diagnosis, cytogenetics, molecular genetics, intrauterine fetal monitoring, and fetal therapy. It is primarily devoted to clinical services such as the diagnosis and prenatal diagnosis of genetic diseases or congenital birth-defect diseases, prenatal screening for genetic diseases, intrauterine monitoring of high-risk fetuses, and intrauterine treatment, as well as basic research into the pathogenesis of genetic diseases, detection and functional characterization of disease-causing genes, and development of new clinical testing technologies. The specialty has been developed into an independent clinical department in accordance with international development models. It has dedicated clinical facilities and specialty laboratories, with complete premises and equipment, a well-structured academic team, and strong capabilities. Its academic backbone consists of senior, high-level professional and technical personnel with professional backgrounds in obstetrics and gynecology, medical genetics, medical imaging, molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, and other fields; all have pursued further study at renowned medical schools abroad, including those in the United States, Australia, and Hong Kong. The academic leader of the specialty is Professor Liao Can, a doctoral supervisor who receives a special allowance from the State Council, is a member of the Ministry of Health’s Expert Group on Prenatal Diagnosis, serves as Chairperson of the Perinatal Medicine Branch of the Guangzhou Medical Association, and is a recipient of the Second China Physician Award. II. Research Achievements Over the past three years, the research achievements of the Fetal Medicine specialty have received 1 National Science and Technology Progress Award, 2 provincial science and technology progress awards, and 2 municipal science and technology progress awards; 3 monographs have been published; more than 60 SCI papers and 32 papers in Chinese Medical Association series journals have been published; 1 computer software copyright and 1 national patent have been obtained; and multiple sources of funding have been awarded, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Education’s Start-up Fund for Returned Overseas Students, and key projects of the Provincial Department of Science and Technology.