Special Interview with Prof. Zhengming Chen
On July 23, 2026, the Editorial Office of The Journal of Cardiovascular Aging conducted an interview with Prof. Zhengming Chen from Clinical Trial Service Unit & Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. The interview was hosted by Prof. Maoyi Tian from School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.
In this interview, Prof. Chen discussed his journey into epidemiology and population health research, sharing how his early interest in disease prevention and population-based research shaped his career. He highlighted the importance of large-scale cohort studies in understanding cardiovascular disease risk factors and shared insights into the establishment of the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB), including its vision, development, and contributions to population health research. Prof. Chen also discussed how emerging technologies, including genomics, proteomics, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence, are transforming epidemiological research by enabling deeper investigation of disease mechanisms, risk prediction, and prevention strategies. He further shared his perspectives on the future role of population-based research in cardiovascular disease prevention and encouraged young investigators to embrace interdisciplinary collaboration, leverage existing resources, and pursue innovative approaches in epidemiology and biomedical research.
Watch the full interview between Prof. Zhengming Chen and Prof. Maoyi Tian:
Interview Questions:
Q1. Professor Chen, you have made remarkable contributions to population health research, particularly in cardiovascular disease epidemiology and chronic disease prevention. Could you please share what initially inspired you to pursue a career in epidemiology and population health research?
Q2. The China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) is one of the world's largest prospective cohort studies. Could you share the vision behind establishing CKB and some of its key contributions to cardiovascular disease and population health research?
Q3. Do you think the future of cardiovascular medicine will increasingly shift toward prevention? What role will population-based research play in this transition?
Q4. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, big data, and multi-omics technologies, how do you envision these innovations transforming cardiovascular epidemiology and precision prevention over the next decade?
Q5. As a leading epidemiologist, what advice would you like to share with young investigators who are interested in cardiovascular research, population health, and preventive medicine?
About Prof. Zhengming Chen:
Prof. Zhengming Chen is a Professor of Epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford. He is an internationally recognized epidemiologist whose research focuses on chronic disease epidemiology, cardiovascular disease prevention, cardiometabolic health, and population-based approaches to healthy aging. His research leverages large-scale prospective cohort studies, including the China Kadoorie Biobank, to investigate the complex relationships between lifestyle factors, metabolic risk factors, genetic susceptibility, and the development of major chronic diseases. Prof. Chen has made significant contributions to understanding the epidemiology and prevention of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and other non-communicable diseases, with particular interests in cardiovascular risk factors, nutrition, lifestyle behaviors, and disease burden across populations. He has published extensively in leading international journals, including The Lancet, Nature, The BMJ, and European Heart Journal, providing critical insights into disease prevention strategies and advancing evidence-based approaches for improving population health and healthy longevity.
About Dr. Maoyi Tian:
Prof. Maoyi Tian is a Professor and Deputy Dean at the School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Australia. His research focuses on the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases and injuries, with particular interests in food policy, health systems, multimorbidity, and injury prevention. He has led and participated in multiple large-scale population studies and has published extensively as first or corresponding author in leading medical journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, The Lancet Public Health, and The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. His research has contributed to advancing evidence-based strategies for chronic disease prevention and population health.
Editor: Alex Wang
Production Editor: Xingyue Luo
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of The Journal of Cardiovascular Aging
