CityU organizes Digital Health Asia 2026 in partnership with THE to shape the future for digital health

Prof. Wanlei Zhou, vice rector of CityU delivered a distinctive and engaging opening address together with Health Bot, extending a warm welcome to scholars from around the world. He noted that artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly reshaping the health sector: wearable devices enable early warning of health risks, virtual assistants support home-based care, and generative AI demonstrates immense potential in areas such as drug discovery. He highlighted that the Faculty of Health and Wellness and the Faculty of Data Science are working closely together to advance the digitalization of traditional Chinese medicine, AI-assisted herbal formulation and meridian mapping, with cybersecurity and data protection at the core of their efforts. He emphasized that innovation and collaboration are key to driving health development in Asia, and expressed his hope that DHA would serve as a platform for the exchange of ideas and inspiration.

Rector Jun Liu welcomed leading scholars and guests from 20 countries and regions, and expressed his gratitude to the Macao SAR Government for its strong support for innovation, education, and healthcare development. He noted that the digital health market in Asia is exploding, with AI-driven diagnostic technologies emerging as a key area of focus. The summit features a diverse program including keynote speeches, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and case study presentations, covering frontier topics such as preventive care, the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and digital health, and AI-powered drug discovery. As Rector Liu mentioned, this event will showcase the University’s research achievements in healthcare such as surgical robotics and intelligent diagnostic systems. Rector Liu further remarked that Macao, as a meeting point of eastern and western cultures, offers a unique setting. He also expressed the hope that beyond academic exchange, participants would experience the city’s rich and diverse cultures, stimulating more opportunities for innovation and collaboration.

APAC President Mei Mei Lim reflected on the development of the Digital Health series since its launch at Stanford University in 2024. She noted that as healthcare models shift from treatment to prevention, how to build a technology system that inspires trust from both patients and practitioners amid rapid technological evolution has become a key focus. She noted that this year’s edition represents a timely response to this critical issue. President Lim commended CityU for its forward-looking vision and leadership in the fields of artificial intelligence and health sciences and highlighted its efforts in advancing interdisciplinary research and talent development across health sciences, wellness services, and emerging technologies that aligns closely with the summit’s vision, offering valuable practical contexts for exploring the future of digital health.

Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine and CityU Honorary Doctor, Prof. Thomas C. Südhof delivered an opening plenary titled “Life Science Innovation and Human Health: The Role of Basic vs Applied Research”. Professor Südhof noted that biomedical research and drug development is currently undergoing an unprecedented time powered by new technologies such as artificial intelligence. Using Alzheimer’s disease as a case study, he offered a detailed analysis, noting that despite decades of research into therapies targeting pathological features such as beta-amyloid, their clinical efficacy remains limited, which reflects a fundamental gap in the understanding of how key genetic risk factors, such as APOE4, contribute to the disease mechanism, as well as the complex cellular biology underlying the disease progression. He emphasized that the current bottleneck is not a lack of translational effort, but rather a gap in the foundational knowledge itself. He called for more focus on basic research into disease biology and a deeper examination into the fundamental nature of life and disease, rather than rushing to put immature discoveries into applications. During the Q&A session, Professor Südhof further elaborated on these points, allowing the audience to reflect deeply on the role and societal value of biomedical research.

[foogallery id="105746"]

The event also featured a series of thematic panels and sharing sessions focused on cutting-edge topics. The panel “Beyond the clinic: preventative care through holistic well-being” moved beyond traditional clinical perspectives to explore multi-dimensional intervention models for whole-life-cycle health management. The session “Ancient wisdom, modern tools: integrating traditional Chinese medicine into digital health” brought together leading experts in TCM to explore pathways and methods for leveraging digital technology in the preservation and innovation of traditional medicine, fostering the deep integration of ancient wisdom with modern digital tools. “Generative AI for protein design: the next frontier in molecular science” focused on the cutting-edge application of AI in molecular sciences, exploring the technological breakthroughs and industrial application potential of generative AI in protein design.

In addition, the event covered a range of critical topics, including AI data security, the role of higher education in driving the digital health industry, AI-powered precision microbiome research, entrepreneurship and funding in Asian health innovation, talent cultivation in the digital healthcare era, AI-enabled clinical diagnosis and minimally invasive interventions, and the integration of digital solutions into national health ecosystems. Experts across fields shared their perspectives and engaged in in-depth discussions to advance digital health industry in Asia.

[foogallery id="105747"]

The event also featured several R&D Showcase sessions, highlighting a range of cutting-edge technologies and products in digital health, including natural orifice surgical robots and intelligent endoscope, a diffusion model-based intelligent coronary angiography image recognition and segmentation system, and an intelligent hand hygiene monitoring system using 3D skeleton recognition. The exhibition offered a comprehensive overview of the latest research advances and practical explorations in the field of digital health.

[foogallery id="105748"]