School of Chinese Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine
Research Field
Professor Hung-Rong Yen is a physician-scientist. He earned his M.D. degree with a dual major in Western and Chinese medicine from China Medical University, Taiwan. He subsequently completed clinical training in both Western medicine at Chang Gung Children’s Hospital and Chinese medicine at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Additionally, he obtained his Ph.D. from Chang Gung University and completed a three-year research fellowship in immunology at Johns Hopkins University, USA. As a physician-scientist with dual clinical training in both Western and Chinese medicine, he is a prominent advocate for integrating Chinese medicine into conventional healthcare. He is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of physicians and fostering collaboration across diverse medical disciplines. His integrative clinical practice teams have been honored with two "Symbol of National Quality" (SNQ) Awards in Taiwan. His research on Taiwan's native herbal medicine has earned him the 2022 "National Innovation Award" in Taiwan and the “Prof. Peter Houghton Innovation Award” from the International Society of Ethnopharmacology in 2024. His research in acupuncture earned him the “ICMART Science Award” from the International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques in 2023. Professor Yen aims to apply his training in both clinical and basic science to advance the understanding, treatment, and prevention of immunological diseases, particularly through the integration of Chinese medicine and Western medicine. He is ranked among the "World’s Top 2% Scientists" based on Scopus's research influence data, including both "Lifetime Science Influence Rankings" and "Single-Year Science Impact Rankings," with recognition extending through consecutive years. As a clinician, Professor Yen is highly respected for his compassionate care, treating patients like members of his own family. His exceptional expertise and dedication earned him a recommendation from the National Union of Chinese Medical Doctors Association (R.O.C.) and the prestigious title of “Best Doctor of the Year 2023”, awarded by Common Health magazine in Taiwan. Furthermore, he is a pioneer in innovative teaching methods in Chinese medicine education, incorporating OSCE, MOOCs, VR applications, and EMI courses. He serves as the Associate Editor of Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2018-2021), Frontiers in Pharmacology (2020-present), Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine (2025-present) and Editorial Board of Integrative Cancer Therapies, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, BioMedicine and PLOS ONE.
The Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (RCTCM) at China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) was founded by the Departments of Medical Research and Department of Chinese Medicine in September 2013. As a physician scientist, Dr. Hung-Rong Yen takes charge of the Center and aims to bridge basic and clinical research to lead the Center towards becoming a top international traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research center.
Dr. Hung-Rong Yen at the CMUH Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine also helped China Medical University, Taiwan to apply for the "Chinese Medicine Research Center program" grant from the Aim for the Top University Project and the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education, respectively.
The research center focuses on TCM evidence-based studies and immunoregulation studies. On the one hand, we extend the research of basic immunoregulation mechanisms to TCM clinical immunotherapy and application. We carry out TCM evidence-based research and promote the clinical research of TCM translation supported by basic research, in an effort to support TCM clinical study based on basic research on cellular and molecular immunology.
The clinical problems can be answered through research, while research work can promote clinical efficacy. Long-term research work aims to apply multidisciplinary approaches, including but not limited to the knowledge of Chinese medicine, Western medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, cellular experiments, biochemistry, molecular biology, and immunology, as well as scientific experimental data to confirm and find out the TCM that can control the immune response, and to perform TCM evidence-based translational and clinical research, enabling the immune disease to become a preventable, treatable, and controllable chronic disease.
The studies conducted by the center combine big data-bench-bedside research, including TCM empirical study and immunoregulation study. The combination of clinical and basic research increases international visibility of TCM research, integration of Western medicine and TCM, and promotes public health and welfare.
As immune disorders have become an important issue of human health, these diseases, including allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious or inflammatory diseases, and even cancer—the common cause of death in Taiwan, are closely bound up with the immune system. However, biomedicine has limitations in the treatment of immune diseases. TCM for regulating the immune system has been documented in the literature, such as qi- or blood-supplementing herbs. For example, Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi decoction, Yu-Ping-Feng powder, astragalus, Ganoderma, Chinese yam, and atractylodes have been reported to have the ability to regulate the immunity. Therefore, the study of TCM in immunology is an area that has great potential for development.
The research center implements clinical translational studies supported by basic research in stages and works with clinicians of the TCM and Western medicine-related departments. Stage 1 covers the epidemiological study of clinical cases, clinical symptoms, and TCM syndrome differentiation, to analyze the current status and summarize the unmet needs. In Stage 2, it collaborates with clinical Chinese and Western medicine physicians in collecting clinical specimens, and analyzing the inflammatory or immune response in the patient's body. Stage 3, promotes TCM translational clinical trials assisted by basic research, supporting TCM clinical research through the basic research of cellular and molecular immunology.
The TCM immunoregulation study is a key area for the research center, especially in the field of adaptive immunity. From the perspective of TCM, the research center probes deeply into TCM immunotherapy and immunoregulation efficacy and mechanisms. Immunoregulation is one of the possible mechanisms of TCM in the treatment of diseases. Although the clinical use of TCM to treat immune disorders can achieve good results, it remains to be seen whether the balance of immunity can be precisely harnessed and whether scientific evidence-based research can support the clinical observation. The research center applies scientific evidence-based research, combining TCM, molecular biology, and immunology research methods to investigate TCM clinical efficacy and therapeutic mechanism for immune disorders.
2011：
Best Teaching Award, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan
2012：
Best Teaching Award, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan
2012-2015:
Career Developing Grant, National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan
2013:
Outstanding Service Award, National Union of Chinese Medical Doctor's Association, R.O.C.
2014：
Elite Physician, China Medical University, Taiwan
2016:
The American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Travel Grant for the 16th International Congress of Immunology, Melbourne, Australia
2016:
Outstanding Service Award, National Union of Chinese Medical Doctor's Association, R.O.C.
2017:
Annual Best Teacher Professional Learning Communities "TCM Clinical Teaching in English"
2017:
The American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Laboratory Travel Grant for IMMUNOLOGY 2017, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
2017:
Outstanding Associate Professor Award, China Medical University, Taiwan
2018:
Contribution to the Internationalization of Chinese Medicine Award, National Union of Chinese Medical Doctor's Association, R.O.C.
2018:
Annual Best Teacher Professional Learning Communities "TCM Clinical Teaching in English"
2018：
Elite Physician, China Medical University, Taiwan
2019:
Best Online Teaching Material “Chinese Medicine Health Promotion in Daily Life”, China Medical University, Taiwan
2019:
The Symbol of National Quality Award for the "Integrating Chinese medicine and western medicine to manage pediatric growth and development" Program
2020:
Annual Best Teacher Professional Learning Communities "Innovative Pedagogical Practice in TCM Education"
2021：
Elite Physician, China Medical University, Taiwan
2022:
The Symbol of National Quality Award for the "Integrating Chinese medicine and western medicine to manage pediatric allergic disorders" Program
2022:
The National Innovation Award for “Improvement the quality of Taiwan's indigenous Chinese herbal medicine Qing-dai for autoimmunity modulation”
2023:
"ICMART Science Award", International Council of Medical Acupuncture and Related Techniques, The 36th ICMART World Congress On Medical Acupuncture, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2023:
Best Doctor of the Year 2023, Common Health Magazine, Taiwan
2024:
Taiwan Sustainability Action Award (TSAA) Bronze Medal Award, Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, Taiwan
2024:
"Prof. Peter Houghton Innovation Award (Institution)", International Society of Ethnopharmacology, 2024 ISE-APSS Conference, Cape Town, South Africa
Education and Post-Graduate Education:
| 1990-1997 | M.D. | School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical College, Taiwan. |
| 2004-2010 | Ph.D. | Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taiwan |
| 2007-2010 | Research Fellow | Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Maryland, U.S.A. |