Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) proudly announces that two of its distinguished researchers, Prof. Mu-Sheng Zeng and Prof. Rui-Hua Xu, have been elected as academicians of the Chinese Academies of Sciences (CAS) and Engineering (CAE) respectively, following the announcement of the 2025 election results.


Prof. Mu-Sheng Zeng Elected as CAS Academician

Prof. Mu-Sheng Zeng, a world-renowned scholar in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) research, has been elected as an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His longstanding research focuses on the carcinogenic mechanisms of EBV and targeted interventions.


His groundbreaking work includes identifying specific receptors for EBV infection in epithelial cells and a common receptor for both B cells and epithelial cells. He elucidated a novel mechanism of sequential and synergistic receptor-mediated EBV infection. Furthermore, Prof. Zeng established an innovative EBV vaccine system, developing several candidate vaccines that have been successfully transferred to leading domestic enterprises. His research provides a theoretical foundation and practical strategies for blocking EBV infection at the source and preventing EBV-associated diseases, guiding the development of a systematic new vaccine platform for EBV.


His significant findings have been published in top-tier journals such as Nature, Nature Microbiology, Cell Host & Microbe, and Cell Research. His work is frequently cited in prestigious journals like Cell and Science and has been incorporated into standard virology textbooks and monographs. He received the Second Prize of the National Natural Science Award (2023) as the first completer.


Prof. Zeng currently serves as the Deputy Director of SYSUCC. He holds several key positions, including President of the International Association for Research on EBV and Associated Diseases, and Chairman of the Tumor Microenvironment Professional Committee of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association.

Prof. Rui-Hua Xu Elected as CAE Academician

Prof. Rui-Hua Xu, a leading medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers with major international influence, has been elected as an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.


Over his 37-year career, Prof. Xu has created novel strategies to overcome resistance to immunotherapy. He pioneered Chinese immunotherapeutic regimens for gastrointestinal cancers that have achieved the best efficacy globally, transforming "Chinese Solutions" into "Global Standards." He optimized combinations of chemotherapy and immunotherapy to enhance tumor antigenicity, establishing new regimens for esophageal and gastric cancers. He also innovated targeted drug combinations to improve the immune microenvironment, pioneering a new dual-target plus immunotherapy regimen for colorectal cancer, and internationally initiated new targeted immunotherapy strategies.


Additionally, he established a genomic molecular classification system for colorectal cancer in China and developed enhanced, low-toxicity chemotherapeutic and targeted therapies, changing clinical practice guidelines worldwide. The series of new treatment regimens he led have significantly improved the outcomes for gastrointestinal cancer patients in China, doubling the long-term survival rates for advanced esophageal and gastric cancers and raising the 5-year survival rate for advanced colorectal cancer to over 40%. His innovative clinical trial designs were crucial for the success of several domestic original investigational drugs.


His groundbreaking research, with over 210 publications as corresponding author in top-tier journals including NEJM, JAMA, BMJ, Nature Medicine, and Cancer Cell, has been cited over 35,000 times. He is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for three consecutive years, and his work has been incorporated into 85 national and international guidelines. His influence was further recognized when Cell invited him to contribute a commentary on China's oncology clinical research and honored him as one of the "50 Scientists that Inspire" during the journal's 50th anniversary.

Prof. Xu is the President of SYSUCC, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China. He has served as the Chairman of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology and is the Vice Chairman of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association. As the first completer, he has won two National Science and Technology Progress Awards (Second Prize) and seven ministerial/provincial first prizes. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Communications and the only Chinese Editorial Board Member for The Lancet Oncology. Under his leadership as President, SYSUCC has become a world-class cancer center.

Written by: Liao Shuang, Zhai Huiwen, International Office at SYSUCC