Nanshan Zhong Nanshan Zhong, MD, is a distinguished respiratory physician, pulmonologist, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He currently serves as Director of the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases. He has previously held several key academic and institutional positions, including President of Guangzhou Medical University (formerly Guangzhou Medical College), President of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, President of the Chinese Medical Association, and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease.

Dr. Zhong graduated from Beijing Medical College (now Peking University Health Science Center) in 1961. In 1979, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease and became one of the first government-sponsored scholars sent overseas after China’s reform and opening-up. He pursued further training at the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom and was appointed Director of the Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease in 1984. He was elected Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 1996. Dr. Zhong has devoted more than five decades to the research, prevention, and clinical management of major respiratory infectious diseases and chronic respiratory disorders.

He led the world’s first large-scale clinical study on tiotropium bromide for the treatment of early-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), contributing significantly to the advancement of early diagnosis and intervention strategies for COPD worldwide. As a leading figure in respiratory medicine, he has played a pivotal role in advancing the discipline of respiratory diseases in China toward international standards. During the global outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003, Dr. Zhong played a critical role in the clinical management and treatment of critically ill patients. He developed the “three early and three appropriate” strategy for SARS prevention and treatment, which provided valuable clinical experience for global infectious disease control.

His contributions significantly improved outcomes during the SARS outbreak in Guangdong and established him as an influential advocate for strengthening national public health emergency response systems. Dr. Zhong has also made important contributions to the response to emerging respiratory infectious diseases, including H7N9 avian influenza and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and has been recognized as a key contributor to the development of China’s public health emergency preparedness framework. In January 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Zhong led the national response as Head of the High-level Expert Group of the National Health Commission and Chair of the COVID-19 Scientific Research Expert Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology. He made outstanding contributions to epidemic prevention and control, critical patient management, and scientific research. In August 2020, he was awarded the Medal of the Republic, the highest state honor of the People's Republic of China.