Yupei Zhao is President of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor of Surgery, and Doctoral Supervisor. He is a recipient of the State Council Special Allowance and currently serves as Vice President of the China Association for Science and Technology, Executive Vice President of the Chinese Medical Association, President of the Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Vice President of the Beijing Medical Doctor Association, and Member of the Discipline Evaluation Group of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council. Professor Zhao serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Surgery, Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese edition of Annals of Surgery, and Honorary Editor-in-Chief or Deputy Editor-in-Chief of more than ten surgical journals. He has been awarded Honorary Fellowships by the International College of Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons of England, and Hong Kong College of Surgeons, and a Fellowship Ad Hominem by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is Vice President of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and served as President of the 16th Asian Congress of Surgery.

With more than 30 years of clinical practice, research, and education experience in general surgery, Professor Zhao has made significant and pioneering contributions to the basic and clinical research of pancreatic cancer. He proposed the concept of “high-risk populations for pancreatic cancer,” which has contributed to earlier diagnosis among high-risk individuals and reduced misdiagnosis. He also established a “green pathway for pancreatic cancer diagnosis and treatment,” helping to standardize clinical management procedures for pancreatic cancer. He pioneered the establishment of pancreatic disease consultation centers in China and promoted multidisciplinary team (MDT) approaches to ensure that patients receive timely and optimal treatment strategies.

Professor Zhao and his research team have conducted a series of influential clinical studies on the diagnosis and surgical management of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. He successfully performed China’s first laparoscopic resection of an insulinoma and pioneered robotic-assisted insulinoma surgery in China. More than 100 robotic insulinoma surgeries have been successfully performed under his leadership, significantly reducing surgical trauma and shortening operative and hospitalization times.

Professor Zhao has received numerous prestigious awards and honors, including the National May 1st Labor Medal, Chinese Physician Award, Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Expert Award from the former Ministry of Health, the first Zhou Guangzhao Clinical Physician Award, and the Beijing Model of Medical Ethics Award. Professor Zhao has actively promoted the establishment of specialized pancreatic disease centers and professional pancreatic surgery teams in China. Through pioneering translational research addressing key challenges in pancreatic cancer diagnosis and treatment, he has played a leading role in advancing the development of pancreatic surgery nationwide. He led the development of the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer issued by the Chinese Medical Association and the national industry standards for pancreatic cancer management issued by the former Ministry of Health. Professor Zhao led a collaboration involving 16 pancreatic surgery centers across China and undertook major national research programs, including the National High-Tech Research and Development Program (863 Program), National Basic Research Program (973 Program), National Science and Technology Support Program, and key industry research projects. These efforts established a nationwide platform for pancreatic cancer diagnosis and treatment research and facilitated prospective clinical studies addressing major clinical challenges. He has led more than 20 national and provincial-level research projects, published over 300 academic papers, and received major scientific awards, including the Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, the First Prize of the Chinese Medical Science and Technology Award, and the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Science and Technology Progress Award. Dedicated to medical education, Professor Zhao has trained more than 100 master's students, doctoral students, and postdoctoral fellows. He has authored or translated eight academic monographs, including serving as Chief Editor of Pancreatology, which was recognized as one of the “Top 100 Original Publications” projects by the National Press and Publication Administration of China.

Professor Zhao has made outstanding contributions to promoting academic exchange and international collaboration in general surgery. He has successfully organized major academic events, including China Surgical Week, conferences of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists (IASGO), and the 16th Asian Congress of Surgery, receiving broad recognition from the international surgical community. He has also actively encouraged Chinese surgeons to participate in and contribute to the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Annual Clinical Congress, significantly enhancing the global academic influence of Chinese surgery. In 2009, Professor Zhao played a leading role in establishing the first internationally standardized general surgery training center in mainland China through collaboration between the Royal College of Surgeons of England, the Hong Kong College of Surgeons, and Peking Union Medical College Hospital. This initiative represented a milestone in advancing the professional training and development of surgeons in China.