Xie Lixin, academician (first from right).

On December 20th, the 2025 Wu Jieping Medical Science Award Ceremony was held in Beijing. Professor Xie Lixin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, tenured professor of Shandong First Medical University, and president of the Affiliated Qingdao Eye Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, was honored with the 2025 Wu Jieping Medical Science Award.

Academician Xie Lixin delivers an acceptance speech.

The Wu Jieping Medical Science Award, a high-level award in China's medical and health field, is presented to individuals who have promoted the advancement of China's medical science and technology and have made outstanding contributions to the development of China's medical and health cause. It is selected once a year, with no more than two recipients annually.

Xie Lixin's primary work involves applied basic research, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and education and teaching in ophthalmology, specifically focusing on corneal diseases and cataracts. He has made numerous pioneering achievements in areas such as infectious keratopathy, bioengineered corneas, corneal endothelial cells, diabetic keratopathy, and intraocular sustained-release drug delivery systems. He has received numerous accolades, including three second-class prizes for the National Science and Technology Progress Award, the Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Highest Award, six first-class prizes for the Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award, and the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Science and Technology Progress Award.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Xie Lixin's career in medicine and education. Over the past six decades, he has restored sight for countless patients and trained ophthalmology talents who now work across the globe.

Xie Lixin has repeatedly stated that when he is old, he would give up all his titles, wishing only to retain his identity as a "teacher." He believes that the value of scientific research achievements lies not only in publishing papers and making breakthroughs, but also in transforming them into nourishing elements for education, allowing the spirit of medical science to be passed down through generations.

To cultivate more top-tier ophthalmic talents in China, Xie Lixin took the lead in applying for the Shandong Ophthalmology Doctoral Program, achieving a "zero breakthrough" for this discipline's doctoral programs in Shandong.

In academics and clinical practice, Xie Lixin is very strict with his students. His students recall, "Teacher Xie often points sternly at the medical records and admonishes us, 'It's just one surgery for the doctor, but for the patient, it's a lifetime of sight.'" This relentless pursuit of medical quality leaves a deep impression on his students.

In daily life, however, Xie Lixin treats his students with the tolerance of family. His student, Professor Shi Weiyun from Shandong First Medical University, recalls that when he first started working in Qingdao, his salary was low, so Xie Lixin lent him his Phoenix brand bicycle. One time, after riding the bicycle to Xie Lixin's home to discuss work, Shi Weiyun came downstairs to find the bicycle stolen. He was terrified and anxious, but Xie Lixin just smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him, saying, "Don't dwell on it. Focus on your experiments."

Students always see him in the laboratory in the early morning and find him by the operating table on holidays. He sleeps only four hours a day, yet when revising papers, he doesn't even let a single punctuation mark slide.

Students jokingly complain, "Studying under Teacher Xie, we always feel there aren't enough hours in the day," but their eyes sparkle. It is these times of study that become the foundation for their future development in the medical field, both in China and internationally.

Xie Lixin always adheres to the philosophy that "development most needs talent and teams; only with both can one achieve innovative results and possess international competitiveness." He regards talent cultivation as the foundation of his career and invests immense effort in it.

Over sixty years, through his mentorship by precept and example and selfless guidance, Xie Lixin has cultivated over 150 Ph.D. and master's degree students for the Chinese ophthalmology field. Many of his students have become deans, department directors, and professional key members in renowned medical and research institutions both domestically and internationally. The team he leads at the Institute of Ophthalmology affiliated with Shandong First Medical University has grown into an ophthalmic innovation team, cultivated independently, led by an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, guided by national-level talents, and with provincial and ministerial experts and members of the National Ophthalmology Group as its backbone.

Professor Xie Lixin teaching medical knowledge to clinical interns.

Professor Xie Lixin leads master's and doctoral students in teaching rounds.

Congratulatory Letter from the Qingdao Municipal Health Commission.

Congratulatory Letter from Shandong First Medical University (Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences).