The discipline of Endocrine-metabolic Disease of SSMU is one of the first group of state-approved discipline qualified to offer doctorate degree on both specialty of Endocrinology and integrated traditional and western medicine Endocrinology. It was also approved by the State Education Commission in 2001 by the Shanghai Municipal High Education Bureau in 2001 as one of the Key Discipline. In 1994, it was also approved as the Key Research Labotory on Endocrine-metabolic Disease of the Ministry of Health. It is also a member of the Postdoctoral Training Center on clinical Internal-medicine and is one of the "211 project" supported key disciplines in Shanghai Second Medical University.
The founder of the discipline –Prof. KUANG An-Kun was a renowned state-identified top-grade professor on internal medicine, endocrinology, integrated traditional and western medicine of SSMU, who had established the new system of Endocrinology with Chinese characteristic by using the basic theory of Chinese traditional medicine and modern western medical practice.
Now the discipline has 7 professors (including chief physicians, 4 doctorate student supervisors), 11 associate professors (including vice-chief physicians) and 27 technologists in-charge assistant researchers, and attending physicians. The current heads of the discipline are professors CHEN Jia-lun and LUO Min. The major research fields of the discipline are 1) The gene study of pathogeneses of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of diabetic Chronic complications; 2) Autoimmunological research on the pathogenesis of hyperthyroidism, its diagnosis and proper therapy; 3) The diagnosis, prevention as well as treatment for adrenal diseases, especially for primary aldosteronism; 4) The treatment and prevention of endocrinol-metabolic diseases by using combination of Chinese traditional and western medicine. Currently, 2 research items supported by the state Project 863, 5 by National Nature Science Fund, 1 by Ministry of Health, 1 by State Education Committee, 2 by Municipal Science Committee, 2 by Municipal Education Committee, 1 by the High Education Bureau and 2 by International Collaborative Project are undergoing research. With their outstanding achievements, they have won 22 prizes including 2 at national level, 10 at ministry and 10 at municipal level.
It is one of the main endocrinological centers in our country. The overall research level approach the national leading position, in some fields reaching international advanced position.
Currently, the discipline consist of several research units and labs: the research units for molecular etiology of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), for pathogenesis of DM, prevention and treatment of Diabetic Chronic complications, for thyroid diseases, adrenal and other endocrinol-metabolic diseases, research by using integration of Chinese traditional medicine with western medicine as well as labs for DNA synthesis and genomic scanning. It is equipped with necessary larger experimental facilities, such as：kinds of Electrophoresis, PCR, DNA synthesizer, automatic sequencer, Ultra-high speed centrifuge, gamma and Beta counter, etc. thus perfecting the molecular biology experimental condition. Since 1978, 33 doctoral degree postgraduates and 59 master degree postgraduates have been cultivated.