The Research Center for Health and Nutrition was founded in 2004. Under the direct leadership of the university’s Science and Technology Department and Discipline Construction Office, it carries out basic research for application and health product development relating to TCM nutrition. In 2015, it became part of the School of Public Health. At present, there are 4 research fellows, including 2 researchers, 1 assistant researcher and 1 laboratory assistant.
Direction of research focuses on: 1. research on the regulatory mechanism of plant compounds and compound Chinese medicine on nutrition-related metabolic diseases; representative subjects include “A Study on the Sequential Delivery of Flavonoids and Chemotherapeutic Drugs by Sandwich Nano-Micelle Based on Gel Interlayer Regulation in the Treatment of Drug-Resistant Tumors and the Reversal Mechanism” (General Project 81873198 funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China), “A Study on the Role of Enterohepatic Axis Based FKN/CX3CR1 Signal Channel in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and the Regulatory Mechanism of Gegen Qinlian Decoction” (Youth Project 81603593 funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China); 2. Research on dietary care and chronic disease management models for different patients guided by TCM theories; representative subjects include “Five-Color Intelligent TCM Platform Construction”; 3. Research on preparation technology used in the development of TCM health products; representative products include the powder drink Rose Licorice Wheat Julep.
In recent years, the research center has undertaken 3 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 10 ministerial/municipal projects such as Shanghai Science and Technology Support Project, over 20 projects at the bureau level or lower. A total of 79 academic papers have been published with the research center’s members as the first author/corresponding author, among which 30 papers are included in SCI. The total impact factor is 98.84. Its members have been named Shanghai Outstanding Academic Leaders or selected for other municipal talent programs five times. More than 10 science and technology awards at all levels, including the second prize of Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award have been won by its members. The research center has been granted 7 invention patents and 3 utility model patents, and has published 5 monographs on nutrition. Its members have independently/jointly supervised 30 postgraduate students (who have graduated), among which, 7 students won the national scholarship for postgraduate students and 1 student won the title of Shanghai Outstanding Graduate.