History

    In 1958, the Shanghai 1st Medical College started to the research on the principle of acupuncture under the direction by F.Y. Xu’s, physiologist in college. With the care and direction of X.T. Zhang, an academician of Chinese academy of cciences, we began to carry out the research on the mechanisms underlying acupuncture anaesthesia from 1964. In 1975, the Laboratory of Acupuncture Research had established by Professor X.D. Cao, J.S. Cheng and their colleagues. In 1985, the laboratory was formally named as the Institute of Acupuncture Research, including neurophysilogical, neuropharmacological, neuromorphological, neurobiochemical, clinical physiological, neuroimmunological, molecular biological laboratories and computer rooms. The mission of the institute is to carry out the research on acupuncture and integrative medicine and neurobiology. In 1981, the integrative medicine and neurobiology was entitled as the master and doctor degree station by the Ministry of Education. The integrative medicine and neurobiology was selected as national key discipline in 1989, and was approved as postdoctor station in 1994. Additionally, the unit had appointed as the WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine by Ministry of Public Health and WHO in 1983. It became an influential institute to bring the Chinese Traditional Medicine to the world.

    The researches on acupuncture principle promoted not only the flourish development of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, but also the development of teaching and researching work of neurobiology. Based on the Institute of Acupuncture Research, the university (the former Shanghai Medical University, the present Shanghai Medical College) united all neurobiological researchers in the university and established the State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology. The acupuncture research was one of the important research fields that the State Key Laboratory contributed to. The Institute of Acupuncture Research strengthened the research power of the State Key Laboratory and the latter provided potential supported for the acupuncture research. Both two were focused on developing the neuroscience research the Chinese way.

    As we settle into the new millennium, the former Fudan University united the former Shanghai Medical University and consequently found the new Fudan University. Then the department of integrative medicine and neurobiology was developed in the Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University in March 2002. In 2002 and 2007, the fundamental of integrative medicine and neurobiology was selected as the national key discipline two times.