Prof. Lyu's Interview

  “Chinese Medicine is increasingly integrated with modern medicine nowadays. Let me focus specifically on traditional Chinese Medicine rather than its integration with Western medicine.

What distinguishes Chinese Medicine is its systemic and holistic approach—it views the human body as a complex, dynamic system and goes beyond clinical indicators to include patient experiences, environmental influences, and constitutional factors into diagnosis and treatment. One of its most notable features is the use of compound natural interventions. Instead of relying on pure chemical compounds, compound Chinese medicinal formulae are designed to address health holistically, recognising the interconnected nature of biological, social, and environmental factors. This multi-target approach, which is different from simple antagonistic therapies, is especially valuable when single-target treatments may have limitations.

In the context of healthcare, while antagonistic therapies, such as surgical removal of a tumour or targeting a specific pathogen, are effective in acute scenarios, they can be limited in addressing the multifactorial nature of chronic diseases, which often involve overlapping conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and bacterial infections. In these cases, the holistic, patient-centric approach of Chinese Medicine has proven especially effective in rehabilitation, wellness promotion, and chronic disease prevention. While Chinese Medicine alone may not be a complete solution, incorporating its principles into modern biomedical practices can significantly enhance patient outcomes, particularly in managing chronic conditions.”

  “Data science and AI integration are shaping the future of Chinese Medicine. We’re witnessing how traditional holistic principles can be enhanced through modern technological advances, particularly in diagnostics and treatment planning.

Take lung cancer diagnosis as an example. Instead of traditional trial-and-error approaches, we’re moving towards more precise treatments guided by disease subtypes. Chinese Medicine’s holistic classification system, which considers patient sensations and environmental factors, provides valuable complementary insights to biomedical classifications. Compound intervention, a cornerstone of Chinese Medicine, is particularly relevant for treating complex conditions and comorbidities.

Data science and life sciences are accelerating our understanding of drug interactions and their effects on multiple conditions. How to apply research results in these fields to medicine is an important task. Such application will transform not only Chinese Medicine but also Western medicine.

From a health perspective, the ultimate goal is to solve health problems effectively, regardless of whether the solution comes from traditional Chinese Medicine, Western medicine, or an integration of both. Developing a unified medical system that harnesses the strengths of both Chinese and Western medicine would be ideal. Thus, the future of Chinese Medicine will likely involve a fusion of traditional principles with modern scientific advancements, driven by interdisciplinary research. The aim of this integration is to optimise patient outcomes.”

  “The primary concern with an over-reliance on AI in Chinese Medicine is the potential loss of its holistic and personalised nature. Chinese Medicine diagnosis and treatment heavily depend on practitioner expertise and nuanced patient interactions—elements that technology cannot fully replicate. The human aspect, including understanding social and cultural factors, remains irreplaceable.

I believe the path forward is thoughtful integration. We should use AI to enhance the precision, efficiency, and accessibility of Chinese Medicine while preserving its core principles. For instance, AI can assist in organising patent data or analysing herbal interactions, but it should complement rather than replace the personalised approach that defines Chinese Medicine.

The key issue is to preserve the core principle that medicine serves the purpose of health. If we keep this as our guiding principle, we can create a healthcare system that combines the best of both traditional wisdom and modern innovation. In doing so, we ensure that technological advancement supports, rather than overrides, the fundamental value and therapeutic depth of Chinese Medicine.”

 “Collaboration plays a vital and increasingly strategic role in the advancement of Chinese Medicine research. Interdisciplinary collaboration—bringing together fields like AI, data science, and biomedicine—is shaping the future of research by bridging the gap between Eastern and Western medical paradigms, particularly in disease classification and treatment development. The collaborative synthesis between Chinese Medicine principles and modern scientific methods is especially promising for chronic disease management and eldercare.

For the past decades, international collaboration has been centred on natural products and herbal medicine research, with significant contributions from Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Moving forward, I believe there is tremendous potential to explore international collaboration on clinical model innovation, including clinical studies of Chinese Medicine-based interventions. The growing acceptance of Chinese Medicine clinical research in mainstream scientific journals is a good sign, which is vital for global adoption.

Collaboration with industry is also key, particularly in drug development. The development of artemisinin is a well-known example of how clearly defined ingredients with well-understood and proven mechanisms can achieve global impact. However, academia–industry collaboration should not be limited to drug discovery. We need to expand into areas like Chinese Medicine-based health classification and compound interventions, say, with the use of AI technology like large language models. This technological convergence, supported by cross-sector partnerships, will fundamentally enhance our ability to validate and apply Chinese Medicine concepts in contemporary healthcare settings.”

  “Chinese Medicine presents compelling opportunities for addressing modern health challenges, particularly in managing ageing populations and antimicrobial resistance. The key lies in its unique methodological approaches.

When dealing with chronic diseases in elderly populations, we need to move beyond simple antagonistic therapies. Chinese Medicine’s sophisticated disease classification system, especially for complex conditions where multiple ailments coexist, offers valuable insights.

What’s particularly interesting is the concept of dynamics in the treatment process. For instance, we’re studying the intricate relationships between conditions like diabetes and hypertension, and how their treatments interact—something that Chinese Medicine has conceptually addressed for centuries. This understanding of dynamic interactions within complex health systems, from genetic factors to drug combinations, is crucial for developing more effective and tailored treatment strategies.

I see a future where data science can illuminate what Chinese Medicine has long intuited. We will gain deeper insights into health condition classifications and combination treatments. The integration of these elements—classification, compound interventions, and dynamic interactions—will help us to unlock entirely new possibilities for tackling complex global health challenges.”

  “Cross-cultural perceptions deeply influence the global adoption of Chinese Medicine, as it functions not only as a medical system, but also as a cultural tradition. In my experience, people tend to embrace Chinese Medicine more readily when they start to understand its cultural context. This cultural recognition often serves as a gateway to accepting its clinical principles.

However, once Chinese Medicine enters the realm of mainstream healthcare integration, the focus naturally shifts towards scientific validation. While cultural elements remain relevant, the emphasis must be on evidence-based outcomes. Much like the evaluation of modern pharmaceuticals, the wider healthcare community looks for demonstrated efficacy, safety, and reproducibility, regardless of a treatment’s cultural origin.

Therefore, a dual approach is essential. First, we should promote Chinese Medicine as a valuable cultural heritage to build initial understanding and respect. Then, we must invest in rigorous scientific research to validate and communicate Chinese Medicine practices in a language that resonates globally. This combination of cultural appreciation and scientific evidence is key to Chinese Medicine’s successful integration into global healthcare systems.”

  “First, we need to expand the sustainable cultivation of medicinal plants through dedicated farming bases, which helps protect wild populations. Second, we should utilise modern biotechnology—including artificial and chemical synthesis—to produce medicinal compounds more sustainably, thereby reducing pressure on natural resources while meeting market demands.

It is important to develop ethical and effective substitutes for ingredients sourced from endangered species. For instance, we’re seeing promising research on synthetic substitutes for restricted materials like musk (secretion of the musk sac of the male Moschus species). This allows us to preserve traditional medicine practices while protecting endangered species and adhering to international conservation standards.”

  “To ensure Chinese Medicine’s credibility in international markets, we must address critical infrastructure gaps on two main fronts: clinical practice frameworks and herbal medicine research and regulation.

On the clinical side, it’s important to not over-standardise Chinese Medicine given its inherently personalised nature. Instead, the focus should be on developing clear industry standards or guidelines for clinic operations, practitioner training, and credentialling systems.

For Chinese Medicinals, the pressing need is to build robust clinical evidence for them to enter international markets. This entails conducting high-quality, well-designed clinical trials—ideally showing advantages over conventional treatments in certain conditions. In addition, research must expand beyond efficacy to explore intervention dynamics and patient classification models that align with Chinese Medicine and biomedical frameworks.

In my view, regulatory approval alone is not sufficient. The real challenge lies in gaining market acceptance and influencing medical practice patterns. For that, we need a deeper understanding of how complex herbal formulations work, more transparent data on safety and interactions, and evidence-based tools that support diagnosis and treatment selection across systems.

In short, future infrastructure development must simultaneously address both regulatory compliance and market acceptance. This means building a foundation that supports rigorous research, clinical validation, professional standards, and cross-cultural dialogue— ensuring that Chinese Medicine can be both credible and impactful on the global stage.”

  “I strongly believe that cultivating the next generation of Chinese Medicine professionals requires deep, dual fluency—not only in traditional Chinese Medicine, but also in contemporary biomedical sciences. Chinese Medicine practitioners are uniquely positioned to serve as bridging figures between both medical paradigms, and we must prepare them accordingly.

While Western medical content and clinical rotations are already integrated into our Chinese Medicine education, we need to push further. Our graduates must master biomedical knowledge and clinical competence on par with their peers in Western medicine. This approach will raise a cohort of practitioners who are both guardians of tradition and agents of innovation. They will ensure that Chinese Medicine continues to evolve and contribute meaningfully to global health.”

  “I see Chinese Medicine evolving along three interrelated trajectories in the coming decade, each reflecting its dual heritage as a time-honoured tradition and a dynamic, modern discipline.

First, Chinese Medicine will continue to serve its traditional role in outpatient and community-based care, offering preventive, rehabilitative, and chronic disease management services that resonate deeply with its holistic principles.

Second, we will see deeper integration of Chinese Medicine with Western medicine in hospital settings, where Chinese and Western medical practices collaborate more closely. This integration will generate valuable clinical and scientific insights through interdisciplinary research and medical education.

Third, looking further ahead, I anticipate the emergence of a new paradigm—what we might call “Modern Chinese Medicine” or “Systems Medicine”—in which the boundaries between Chinese and Western medicine systems become less distinct and more fluid. This new framework will likely feature new health classification models, hybrid diagnostic systems, and compound intervention methods grounded in both traditional theory and empirical science.

Crucially, the future of Chinese Medicine is not about choosing between preserving tradition or embracing modernity, but about developing a science-informed, culturally grounded system that draws strengths from both. Ultimately, I believe we will be moving toward a more integrated healthcare approach that transcends the traditional East-West divide, focusing instead on providing optimal health services through multiple complementary approaches.”