After years of hard work, the Ultrasonography Department of Union Hospital has achieved fruitful results in scientific research. It has undertaken more than 60 NSFC projects, published more than 1,000 papers in professional journals at home and abroad, including internationally renowned journals as IJC and AJC, and won the National Science and Technology Progress Award for three times and the provincial and municipal scientific research awards for more than 20 times.

1. Scientific research projects

The department has undertaken more than 60 NSFC projects and 12 provincial and ministerial projects.

2. Scientific research awards obtained

It has won national, provincial andministerial scientific research awards at all levels for 27 times, involving fields such as acoustic contrast, three-dimensional echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, myocardial mechanical evaluation, etc. In 1985, the pioneering research result Cardiac Acoustic Contrast with Hydrogen Peroxide won the third prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. In 1998, the Clinical Application Research of Transesophageal Echocardiography won the third prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. In 2005, the Methodology and Clinical Application Research of Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Imaging won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. In 1984, the Study on acoustic contrast of Left Heart System by Injecting Hydrogen Peroxide into Pulmonary Arteriole won the first prize of the Hubei Province Science and Technology Progress Award. In 2004, the Experimental and Clinical Application Research of Non-Invasive Transthoracic Doppler Echocardiography on Coronary Hemodynamics won the third prize of the Hubei Province Science and Technology Progress Award. In 2007, the Clinical Application and Promotion of 3D Ultrasound won the first prize of the Hubei Province Science and Technology Achievements Promotion Award. In 2011, the Basic and Clinical Application Research of New Ultrasound Technology in Evaluating Cardiovascular Mechanical Characteristics won the first prize of the Hubei Province Science and Technology Progress Award and the third prize of the China Medical Science and Technology Award. In 2015, the Evaluation on the Early Damage of Heart and Blood Vessels in Diabetic Patients with New Ultrasound Technology won the second prize of the Henan Province Science and Technology Progress Award.

3. Scientific research papers published

Since its establishment, the Ultrasonography Department has published more than 1,000 papers in professional journals at home and abroad, including such international authoritative journals as IJC and AJC, showing the strong overall scientific research strength of the discipline. The department is active in high-level international academic exchanges. In 2015, it had 25 staff members participating in international conferences and 49 staff members making speeches and thematic exchanges at domestic conferences.

4. Discipline cultivation

The department was authorized to offer master degrees in 1981 and was the first of the discipline to be approved by the State Council in 1990 to offer doctoral degrees in China, approved to be a key discipline of Hubei Province in 1994, and approved to be one of Chinese first stations enrolling postdoctoral fellows in 1995. At present, the department has 2 doctoral supervisors, 4 master supervisors, and a total of more than 200 master and doctoral students and 3 postdocs over the years.