“The rice was boiled a bit too early— now the hall is filled with its aroma,” joked the speaker gladly. As the enticing smell of rice wafted through the auditorium, the students and faculty were listening attentively to a captivating lecture on the principles of preventive healthcare, a proactive approach rooted in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Lecture venue (Photo by Gao Kehe)

This interesting episode marked the 39th Distinguished Scientist Lecture, held at the auditorium of the Social Sciences Complex on the morning of March 20. Zhang Qifa, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and professor at Huazhong Agricultural University, delivered a keynote lecture titled “Health Management Through Modern Life Sciences.” CAS member Ye Chaohui, HAST (Hainan Association for Science and Technology) Vice Chairman Xu Wei, HNU President Luo Qingming, also a member of CAS, as well as other senior HNU leaders were in attendance. President Luo chaired the event.

With the TCM concept of “preventive healthcare” (treating diseases before they occur) as the starter, Zhang Qifa proposed a modern health management framework. He explored three key approaches: optimizing dietary structure, monitoring health indicators, and regulating genes to enhance well-being.

Zhang Qifa delivering the lecture (Photo by Zheng Danting)

Zhang emphasized that the transition from treating existing illnesses to preventive care is essential for tackling the pressing health issues in China, including insulin resistance, chronic diseases, and nutritional imbalance. Zhang advocated promoting whole-grain diet and black rice as staple food, enhancing personalized health monitoring, and advancing gene regulation research to support the “Healthy China” initiative. He stressed the importance of dynamic, long-term health management to achieve the ideal of “living a long, healthy life and passing away without disease.”

Adding a practical touch to the lecture, Zhang introduced his research on a new type of whole-grain black rice, cultivated to provide greater health benefits. The tantalizing aroma that filled the room, he revealed, came from this innovative rice. Attendees were later invited to have a taste of this special gift.

The auditorium was fully packed and the audience was deeply engrossed. During the Q&A session, Zhang answered questions on topics ranging from healthy diet promotion to knowledge transfer.

Q&A session (Photo by Gao Kehe)

Audience tasting the new type of whole-grain black rice (Photo by Zheng Danting)

Over 800 people attended the event in person or online, including the representatives from HAST and other sci-tech associations, heads of HNU’s departments concerned, as well as faculty and student representatives from all HNU campuses and science & education parks.

Translated by Fu Ya

Proofread by Kuang Xiaowen, Yang Jie