TMU College of Medicine and Mackay Medical College Co-host the 15th Joint Symposium for Graduate Institutes of Clinical Medicine: “Innovative Translational and AI Medical Applications”

The 15th Joint Symposium for Graduate Institutes of Clinical Medicine, hosted by the Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Taipei Medical University (TMU), and co-organized by the Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Mackay Medical College, was successfully held on June 28, 2025, at TMU. Over a hundred participants—including directors, faculty advisors, and students from 10 medical schools across Taiwan—enthusiastically attended the event.

This year’s symposium was themed “Innovative Translational and AI Medical Applications.” It featured two keynote speakers: Dr. Yu Tsao, Research Fellow at the Research Center for Information Technology Innovation, Academia Sinica, who presented the latest developments in AI-assisted speech communication systems; and Professor Hung-Yi Yeh from the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mackay Medical College, who shared practical experiences in translational medicine. These sessions helped attendees grasp international research trends and broaden their academic horizons.

[Photo above: Director Kun-Chih Tsai of TMU’s Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine presents a certificate of appreciation to Dr. Yu Tsao (left photo, left), and takes a photo with Professor Hung-Yi Yeh (right photo, right).]

Initiated 15 years ago, the symposium has since rotated among the clinical medicine institutes of 10 medical universities in Taiwan. It is regarded as a major annual event for Taiwan’s clinical and translational research community. The symposium aims to promote collaboration and academic exchange, provide a platform for research sharing, and nurture future physician-scientists and translational medicine professionals equipped with clinical thinking and research capabilities.

At the opening ceremony, TMU President Max Wu encouraged students to conduct meaningful, translationally valuable research and hoped the discussions would spark new ideas and foster collaboration between institutions. Dean Charles Hu of the TMU College of Medicine emphasized the rapid advancement of medical and translational research methods, particularly the revolutionary progress in artificial intelligence. He predicted significant changes in the landscape of medical research over the next decade. To prepare for this shift, TMU’s Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine will begin admitting PhD students specializing in AI medical applications starting in the 2025 academic year, with faculty including international AI experts and researchers from Academia Sinica. By integrating AI medical applications into this year’s theme, the symposium aims to elevate Taiwan’s smart healthcare research culture and standards.

[Photo above: TMU President Max Wu (left) and Dean Charles Hu (right) delivering opening remarks.]

Director Kun-Chih Tsai of TMU’s Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine remarked that this year’s symposium coincided with an era of significant transformation in medical education and research, driven by advancements in genomic and AI-based medicine. To encourage students in medicine and biomedical sciences to engage in new forms of medical research and join the next generation of pioneers, the symposium was expanded in both scale and participation. A total of 24 awards and generous prizes were offered. In addition to categories for Translational Medicine and AI & Medical Applications, a new Undergraduate Student category—introduced by the National Defense Medical Center last year—was included to inspire wider student involvement.

[Left photo: Judges evaluating poster competition entries. Right photo: Director Tsai (fourth from right) with award recipients.]

The symposium featured keynote lectures in both morning and afternoon sessions. Each presentation was followed by research reports from graduate students introduced by their institute directors, with their advisors responding to questions. This format enabled meaningful academic exchange and mutual learning across institutions. The success of the symposium was made possible by the concerted efforts of TMU’s faculty and staff, and the strong support from Dr. Shih-Wei Wang and the team at Mackay Medical College’s Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences.

After the announcement of the winners for the oral and poster presentations, the symposium concluded with the ceremonial handover of next year’s hosting responsibility to Dr. Shih-Wei Wang and Mackay Medical College’s Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences. Looking ahead, the continued hosting of this annual joint symposium is expected to substantially strengthen collaboration among TMU and other universities, enhancing the capacity and quality of clinical and translational medical research.
[Photo below: Group photo at the symposium opening.]