The Collaboration between Peking University and Boehringer Ingelheim, a world-leading research-driven pharmaceutical company, continues to fuel early-stage innovation.
Peking University, December 20, 2023: The winners of Boehringer Ingelheim Faculty Research and Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards 2023, initiated by Peking University and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, were recently unveiled.
Following a rigorous selection process, Professor Yi Chengqi with the School of Life Sciences clinched the Senior Researcher Award, while Dr. Chen Zhixing with PKU’s College of Future Technology emerged victorious with the Young Researcher Award. Additionally, the Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards were bestowed upon Dr. Liu Sijie and Dr. Liu Ying with the School of Life Sciences, along with Dr. Qin Jinshan with the College of Future Technology. (The awardees are mentioned in alphabetical order based on their surnames in Pinyin.)
Seen from left: Dr. Frank Kalkbrenner, Dr. Chen Zhixing, Dr. Yi Chengqi, and Prof. Xiao Ruiping
Seen from left: Dr. Yu Bingke, Dr. Liu Sijie, Dr. Liu Ying, Dr. Qin Jinshan, and Dr. Udo Maier
Dr. Frank Kalkbrenner delivers opening remarks
Prof. Xiao Ruiping delivers an opening speech
Following the award ceremony, Prof. Yi Chengqi, researcher Chen Zhixing, Dr. Li Wenyang with the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, and Dr. Hu Jing with the School of Life Sciences, delivered individual academic reports. The event also featured a poster presentation session, where selected recipients of Boehringer Ingelheim Postdoctoral Fellowship and participants in collaborative projects showcased the advancements of their work through informative posters.
Seen from left: Prof. Yi Chengqi, Dr. Chen Zhixing, Dr. Li Wenyang, and Dr. Hu Jing deliver academic reports
Participants in the event interact
Group photo of the award ceremony for Boehringer Ingelheim Faculty Research and Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards 2023
In May 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim and Peking University forged a strategic partnership aimed at advancing early-stage scientific innovation to address unmet medical needs in such areas as oncology, immuno-oncology, and immunomodulation, respiratory, cardiovascular, and metabolic system diseases, central nervous system diseases as well as emerging fields like regenerative medicine and gene therapy. The diverse forms of cooperation include collaborative research on specific scientific projects, the facilitation of drug development courses and symposiums. Notably, postdoctoral fellowship and faculty research awards are an integral part of this collaboration, further propelling Boehringer Ingelheim’s R&D endeavors in Asia and enabling the company to launch potentially transformative, first-in-class drugs. Since the initiation of this partnership, Peking University has had 11 individuals receive the faculty awards and 19 individuals benefit from the postdoctoral fellowship.
In September 2023, a Boehringer Ingelheim-Peking University joint postdoctoral training program yielded significant results. The team led by Dr. Du Peng at Peking University published an online paper titled “Spatiotemporal Insight into Early Pregnancy Governed by Immune-Featured Stromal Cells” in the scientific journal Cell. The corresponding author, Dr. Du Peng, is with the School of Life Sciences, Peking University, and the Center for Life Sciences jointly established by Peking University and Tsinghua University. Dr. Du Peng is also the winner of Boehringer Ingelheim Young Researcher Award 2021. The paper involved joint efforts from Weng Jianli, a postdoctoral fellow trained jointly by Boehringer Ingelheim and School of Life Sciences, Peking University, and Yang Min, a doctoral graduate from School of Life Sciences, Peking University, who served as the co-first authors of this article. Crucial contributions to the research were also made by Dr. Liu Tengfei from the Research Beyond Borders (RBB) team with Boehringer Ingelheim External Innovation Hub and Dr. Kerstin Kitt from the cancer immunology and immune modulation team.
In her remarks, Prof. Xiao Ruiping said, “Young researchers play a pivotal role in spearheading scientific progress, and collaboration between academia and industry is essential for innovation-led, high-quality development. Peking University has been actively integrating internal and external resources, and leveraging its strengths to foster research partnerships with Boehringer Ingelheim. Aligned in the pursuit of advancing human health, our collaboration aims for mutual benefits, creating a win-win scenario for both the university and the company. We are excited about our forthcoming collaboration journey as we collectively propel advancements in life sciences and biopharma for the ultimate benefit of global patients and mankind.”
Dr. Yu Bingke said, “As the wellspring of medical innovation, breakthroughs in basic research within life sciences and biotechnology pave the way for the discovery of novel drugs. Boehringer Ingelheim envisions elevating R&D capabilities via extended collaboration with Peking University as we together bring forward more potentially transformative, first-in-class drugs and contribute to the Healthy China Initiative. Concurrently, we are committed to nurturing young practitioners with a forward-looking mindset and global vision in the field of biomedicine. Moving forward, we will enhance collaboration with local innovators in a bid to bolster China’s health industry towards high-quality development.”
Present at the award ceremony were distinguished individuals, including Prof. Xiao Ruiping, dean of College of Future Technology, Peking University, Dr. Frank Kalkbrenner, global head of Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Dr. Andrew Nixon, global head of Biotherapeutics Discovery, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dr. Yu Bingke, head of Boehringer Ingelheim External Innovation Hub China, Dr. Udo Maier, head of Research Beyond Borders Europe, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Dr. Bastian Hengerer, head of External Collaboration, CNS, Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr. Clive Wood, global head of Discovery Research, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Dr. Hugh Marston, head of CNS Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim, attended the ceremony virtually and delivered insightful speeches respectively.
About Boehringer Ingelheim Faculty Research and Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards
Boehringer Ingelheim Faculty Research and Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards, sponsored by the multinational pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, aim to honor exceptional researchers at Peking University who have achieved breakthroughs in the field of life sciences and fostered scientific research and innovation in China. It represents a key component of the strategic partnership between Peking University and Boehringer Ingelheim. Since the initiation of this collaboration in 2017, Peking University has seen 11 individuals receive the Researcher Award, while 19 individuals have benefited from the postdoctoral fellowship. Beyond financial support, Boehringer Ingelheim takes an extra step by assigning an in-house scientist as a co-mentor for the postdoctoral award recipient. This unique “dual mentor” system, with both academic and industry mentors, provides resources and scientific guidance, offering winners a comprehensive training experience and enabling projects to progress from diverse perspectives.
About Boehringer Ingelheim External Innovation Hub China
Boehringer Ingelheim External Innovation Hub China was launched in 2020. The hub integrates Boehringer Ingelheim’s external-facing functions, including its Research Beyond Borders (RBB), Business Development & Licensing (BD&L), and the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF) under one roof. This innovative business model provides one-stop shop solutions for innovators in the biopharmaceutical industry in China and Asia by providing access to early-stage research collaborations, strategic partnerships across the value chain as well as equity investment to help convert their creative ideas into reality. The initiative aims to embed life science innovation in China into Boehringer Ingelheim’s global drug discovery and development chain to develop breakthrough medicines for patients with high unmet medical needs.
About Boehringer Ingelheim
Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that transform lives, today and for generations to come. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term, sustainable perspective. More than 53,000 employees serve over 130 markets in the two business units Human Pharma and Animal Health. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com.
Source: PKU School of Life Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim
