A brief introduction
Established in 1958 Shanghai Hypertension Institute is a professional research institution founded the earliest with the most complete categories of research and prevention and treatment of apoplexy as the main tasks in the country. Its research involves the areas of pathogenesis, clinics, epidemic, prevention and pharmacology etc. of hypertension. Prof. Kuang Ankun was the founder of the Institute.
Under the Institute are Research Section of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Clinical Research Section, Research Section of Epidemics, Research Section of Cardiovascular Function and several laboratories serving clinical tests and basic research, laboratory animal sheds for SHR. Hypertension Department is equipped with wards and O.P.D. of the specialty with 30 sickbeds. This Institute also has Shanghai Key Laboratory of Vascular Biology, Hypertension Health Educational Center of Ruijin Hospital, Specialty of Hypertension of Clinical Pharmacological Base, Sino-Japanese Hypertension Drug Clinical Test Center, and Shanghai Scientific Research Base of Disease Control Center. Research Section of Cellular and Molecular Biology is also State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics and a member unit of Shanghai Health Science Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences. This Institute is the place for Ph.D and master students of Angiocardiopathy Department (Hypertension) of Medical School of Jiaotong University with cooperative and exchange ties with several scientific research institutions of the U.S., France, Japan, Canada and Belgium etc..
Since its establishment this Institute has trained 47 Ph.D students and 72 master students. With the concern of and under the guidance of such disciplinary leading persons of the older generation as Prof. Gong Lanshen and Prof. Zhao Guangshen and with the concerted efforts of a batch of academic mainstay like the present Institute director Zu Dingliang it has achieved multiple research fruits. It successfully accomplished location research of hypertensive susceptible gene chromosome, was the first at home to unfold gene diagnosis of monogenic secondary hypertension, is at the leading level at home in respect of research of mechanism of hypertensive vascular remoulding and took the lead at home in carrying out research of function of conducting arteries, clinically raising the diagnostic rate of primary aldosteronism by using new methods.

A brief introduction of the person in charge
Zu Dingliang, male, research fellow, director of Ph.D students. He graduated from Department of Military Medicine, Shanghai Second Military Medical University in 1967, in 1981 obtained his master degree in Shanghai Second Medical College and in 1992 obtained his Ph.D degree in Paris Sixth University, France. He is now director of Shanghai Hypertension Institute, director of Hypertension Department of Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Medical School of Jiaotong University, director of Academic Committee of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Vascular Biology, deputy director of State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, executive deputy chairman of China Hypertension Union, deputy director member of Hypertension Specialty Committee of Chinese Doctors’ Association, leader of Academic Group of Hypertension of Cardiovascular Society of Chinese Medical Association, Shanghai Branch, member of ISR, China Branch, member of Cardiovascular Committee of China Pathophysiologic Association and Cardiovascular Pharmacological Committee of China Pharmacological Association, deputy chief editor of Journal of Hypertension and editorial member of such journals as Journal of China Angiocardiopathy, Journal of Physiology, JACC (Chinese edition).
He has undertaken more than 10 research projects at State and Municipal levels, published over 100 papers in journals both at home and abroad. “Establishment and Application of Hypertensive Genetic Resources Bank”, a research result he presided over won in 2003 a 2nd Prize of Progress in Science and Technology of Shanghai Municipality and in 2004 a 1st Prize of Progress in Science and Technology of Chinese Medicine. At present his research directions are research of hypertensive genes and research of mechanism of cells and molecules of vascular remoulding.

Conditions for scientific research
The Institution owns such large-scale instruments and apparatuses as differential display series image-forming system (Beckman, Genomyx LRS), inverted research microscope and micro operative system (Leica), fluorescent (Zeiss) microscope, quantitative PCR apparatus (Corbett), Unix system computer workstation (Sun), liquidoid chromatic spectrum apparatus (HP), stream-pattern cell apparatus. Test items include: polymorphous test of angiotension converting enzyme gene, gene diagnosis of monogenic hypertension, identification of twin ovum type, colored Doppler ultrasound diagnosis of heart and artery, determination of pulse wave transmission rate, determination of 24hr. dynamic blood pressure. Tests of biochemical items related to hypertension include: plasma renin activity, angiotension Ⅱ radioimmunoassay, angiotension converting enzyme activity, urine catecholamine (adrenalin, noradrenaline, dopamine), rheology, blood viscosity, thrombocytic aggregation rate, thrombus.

Recent key research directions
At present key research directions are research of hypertension-related genes, research of mechanism of vascular remoulding and vascular function, research of clinics and clinical application of vascular stem cells, research of hypertensive genetic epidemiology, research of genetics of drugs for hypertension, diagnostic and therapeutic research of secondary hypertension and refractory hypertension and research of individualized therapy of hypertension.

Situation of undertaking scientific and research projects
The present research projects undertaken include such over ten scientific research projects as State Scientific Research Projects for Tackling Key Problems, 973, 863, State Natural Science Fund, Ph.D. Programs Foundation of Ministry of Education and basic priorities of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission.

Situation of winning prizes
The Institute has won many times prizes of the State, Ministry of Public Health and Shanghai Municipality in respect of basics, clinics and epidemics of hypertension. “Hypertension-Lowering Tablets of Compound Prescription” prepared under the leadership of Prof. Kuang Ankun created a precedent for treating hypertension by agents of compound prescription of a small dosage. “Clinical Test of Nifedipine for the Old in Shanghai” Prof. Gong Lanshan presided over enjoys high prestige internationally. The research result of “Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension and Improvement of Myocardial Hypertrophy by Phenylalanine” Prof. Zhao Guangsheng studied with the utmost care is now being popularized for application. “Establishment and Application of Hypertensive Genetic Resources Bank” led by Prof. Zu Dingliang won for the researchers a 1st Prize of Science and Technology of Chinese Medicine.

Situation of publishing monographs
They have published over 400 papers in international journals and core journals at home and 15 books.