School History

The School of Life Science and Technologyat Southeast University traces its origins to the Sanjiang Normal College established in 1902. It evolved through pivotal phases:

· Liangjiang Normal College (1905)

· Nanjing Higher Normal School (1914)

· National Southeast University (1921)

· National Central University (1928)

In 1920, China’s first Department of Biology was founded at the foot of Jiming Mountain in Nanjing, chaired by Academician Bing Zhi, the founding father of Chinese biology. Esteemed scholars including Academicians Dai Fanglan, Zhang Jingyue, Cai Qiao, and Tong Dizhou taught here.

During the 1952 national restructuring, the biology discipline merged into the East China Military Medical College (later renamed Nanjing Railway Medical College). Distinguished alumni include Academicians Yang Huanming and He Lin.

In April 2000, Nanjing Railway Medical College integrated into Southeast University. Leveraging SEU’s engineering strengths, the biology discipline—centered on genetics—flourished. The Academy of Life Sciences was established in 2009, reorganized into the School of Life Science and Technology in 2019.

Faculty

A dynamic, internationally trained team comprising:

· 70+ full-time/adjunct faculty, technicians, and administrative staff

· 21 Professors/Senior Researchers

· 15 Associate Professors/Associate Researchers

· 100% senior faculty have overseas experience

· 21 national-level talent awardees

· 15 provincial-level talent awardees (e.g., Jiangsu Distinguished Young Scholars)

Research

Key Platforms:

· MOE Key Laboratory of Developmental Genes and Human Diseases

· Biology PhD programs (6 sub-disciplines: Genetics, Biochemistry, etc.)

· Postdoctoral Research Station in Biology

· Chang Jiang Scholars Program professorship

Research Focus:

1. Neural development and functional regulation

2. Stem cell fundamentals and applications

3. Genetic mechanisms of developmental diseases

Achievements (2019-2023):

· 65 national-level and 16 provincial-level research grants

· ¥150M+ competitive funding (incl. 1 National "Brain Project")

· 129 SCI papers (39 in top journals: Cell, Nature Communications, etc.)

Academic Programs

Undergraduate:

· BSc in Biological Sciences

· BEng in Bioengineering

· Dual Degreein Bioscience & Computer Science

Graduate:

· MSc/PhD in Biology

· Professional Master’s in Biopharmaceuticals

Highlights:

· Jiangsu Featured Program: Bioengineering

· Provincial Elite Course: Molecular Biology (English-taught)

· Graduate training innovation: Lab rotation system

· Annual intake: 60 undergrads | 100+ MScstudents | 30+ PhDstudents

Global Engagement

Collaborates with Monash University (Australia) through:

· Joint Center for Bioinformatics & Systems Biology (Suzhou)

· Co-supervised PhD programs

· Collaborative research projects

Vision

Guided by developmental biology and disease mechanisms, we focus on:

· Neurological disorders as primary focus

· Model organisms & clinical specimens as core resources

· Translational medicine as long-term objective

· Multilevel research: molecular → cellular → organismallevels

(Last updated: October 2023)