The Guangdong Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of SUMC was established in June 2003. Originally named the Molecular Imaging Research Center, it was designated as a key provincial laboratory in 2005. Our lab was the first in China in the area of molecular imaging to attain such a status, and to date, it is still the only one.

Molecular imaging increases the understanding of biology and medicine through noninvasive in vivo investigation of cellular molecular processes. Within this field of study, our research focuses on the human brain. Using advanced functional and molecular imaging technology, we study brain mechanisms involved in drug addiction and mental disorders, as well as brain tumors. We are the forerunner in this field in China in terms of research findings, publications and research grants.

By combining advanced brain research, basic research and clinical expertise, we strive to be a multi-disciplinary and innovative international center for molecular imaging research. We have established close cooperative relationships with many institutes that are active in various fields including imaging, molecular biology, psychology, neuroscience and clinical medicine, both domestically and internationally. For a list of recent publications of SUMC, including those of the Medical Molecular Imaging Laboratory, please click here.

Our extensive facilities include a Behavior Laboratory, ERP Laboratory, and Molecular Biology Laboratory, covering a total area of approximately 2,000 m². Our highly motivated team consists of 8 professors, 2 post-doc research fellows, 3 doctors, 18 postgraduate students and several assistants. Director of the lab is Prof. Zhuang-wei Xiao, winner of the Science and Technology Advancement Prize of Guangdong Province and the Technology Advancement First Prize of Shantou.