On 6 July 2026, 37 graduates from the Zhejiang University‑University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJE) travelled to the  McEwan Hall in Edinburgh to take part in the annual summer graduation ceremony of the Edinburgh Medical School. 

A landmark graduation year

This year’s graduation carried special significance, as the Edinburgh Medical School celebrated its tercentenary. Professor David J. Argyle, Vice-Principal of the University of Edinburgh, gave the graduation address. HRH The Princess Royal, Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, also sent good wishes to our graduands saying: “Many congratulations on graduating and I wish you every success in the future”.

Professor Sue Welburn, Executive Dean, Zhejiang University – University of Edinburgh Joint Institute (ZJE) commented “at ZJE, we bring together the absolute best of two world-class universities - to create the future leaders and innovators in biomedical science. I am convinced that the biomedical sciences are entering a golden age, and that our graduates from ZJE will play a critical part in shaping it.”

Research with global reach

Notably, the seven PhD graduates were to be awarded their doctorates in person. Their projects reflect the breadth of biomedical science research ongoing at ZJE, with work ranging from molecular mechanisms inside cells to global patterns of disease transmission and elimination.

Projects including examination of hidden reservoirs of human African trypanosomiasis, drivers and constraints for malaria control, rabies transmission and zoonotic infections shared between dogs and humans. These studies address some of the major challenges in global health: hidden disease reservoirs, cross-border transmission, environmental and policy drivers, and the practical barriers to elimination. Other projects focus on the hidden changes inside cells that can drive disease. Researchers are examining how molecular signals can fuel aggressive tumour growth, including in lung cancer, and how cells in mammary tissue change identity, communicate and shape healthy and diseased tissue.

The portfolio also includes translational biomedical innovation, with research into biosensors for detecting urinary extracellular vesicles as a route to point-of-care diagnosis of acute kidney disease. Together, these areas show how biomedical research connects discovery science with clinical, public health and global impact.

Professor Mike Shipston, Dean International from College Medicine and Veterinary Medicine continued: “I was extremely proud to see our ZJE students on stage in the magnificent McEwan Hall in Edinburgh and wish all our 2026 graduates the very best for the future”

Integrative Biomedical Sciences (PhD) 

ZJE’s Integrative Biomedical Sciences PhD at Zhejiang University trains researchers to address global health challenges through advanced biomedical science, interdisciplinary supervision, international collaboration, and rigorous, impact-focused doctoral research in China with Global impact.  

Caitlin Jones
Thesis: Hidden reservoirs and hiding parasites: An evaluation of chronic African sleeping sickness foci and the challenges we may face on the way to elimination.

Phoebe Yin
Thesis: Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of CSNK1D signalling in promoting aggressive tumour proliferation.

Qian Tang
Thesis: SMAD4 loss promotes lung squamous cell carcinoma progression by remodelling the 3D genome.

Tianren Shen
Thesis: Dog-related diseases affecting humans: A comprehensive survey of zoonotic infections from case studies in China and Zambia.

Yueqing Xu
Thesis: Exploration of the mechanisms underlying cell fate transitions and intercellular communications in mammary tissue.

Biomedical Sciences (PhD)

Chenyu Wang
Thesis: Global and regional drivers of malaria transmission and elimination: An integrated analysis of ecological, financial and policy dimensions.

Shengjie Jin
Thesis: Detection of urinary extracellular vesicles using piezoelectric and electrochemical biosensors for point-of-care diagnosis of acute kidney disease.

Thirty Bachelor of Science degrees were also awarded to ZJE students.