China's Top Departments: Rheumatology & Immunology at Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
One of the earliest rheumatology departments in China (founded 1979), consistently ranked top 3 nationally with the largest annual outpatient volume in China (~300,000 visits). Internationally leading in SLE and dermatomyositis care, Renji operates China's only rheumatology ICU and has reduced the 10-year end-stage renal disease rate in lupus nephritis to 2.17%.
What matters most on this page
Short answer:One of the earliest rheumatology departments in China (founded 1979), consistently ranked top 3 nationally with the largest annual outpatient volume in China (~300,000 visits). Internationally leading in SLE and dermatomyositis care, Renji operates China's only rheumatology ICU and has reduced the 10-year end-stage renal disease rate in lupus nephritis to 2.17%.
Key points
- Founded 1979 — One of China's Earliest Rheumatology Departments
- Fudan Top 3 Nationally · ~300,000 Outpatient Visits/Year
- China's Only Rheumatology ICU (8 Beds)
- Lupus Nephritis 10-Year ESRD Rate Reduced to 2.17%
If you or a loved one is facing an autoimmune or rheumatic disease — systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, antiphospholipid syndrome, or vasculitis — the Division of Rheumatology at Renji Hospital is among China's most prestigious centers, with internationally leading expertise in SLE and dermatomyositis.
Founded in 1979, the division is one of the earliest rheumatology departments in China and a traditional pillar specialty of the hospital. It has conducted more than 40 years of sustained research and clinical practice on SLE, rheumatoid arthritis, antiphospholipid syndrome, inflammatory myopathies (dermatomyositis), Behçet's disease, adult-onset Still's disease, and ankylosing spondylitis.
It has consistently ranked in the top three nationally in the Fudan University hospital specialty rankings, with the largest annual outpatient volume of any rheumatology department in China.
At Medora, we help international patients navigate Renji's rheumatology team. Here's what you need to know.
Accreditations & Recognition
- National Clinical Key Specialty
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Medical Center; Shanghai Clinical Key Specialty; Shanghai Municipal Education Commission Featured Discipline
- Shanghai Institute of Rheumatology; Shanghai Rheumatology & Immunology Clinical Quality Control Center
- China–Australia Center for Personalized Immunology
- One of the first master's and doctoral degree programs and postdoctoral stations in rheumatology in China
- National Drug Clinical Trial Base (Rheumatology & Immunology)
- Standardized training base for internal medicine residents and rheumatology specialists
- Operates the only rheumatology intensive care unit (rheumatology ICU) in China
Expert Team
| Expert | Title / Role | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Prof. Chen Shunle | Founder | Internationally renowned rheumatologist; former President of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology (APLAR); recipient of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) "Master" designation and APLAR's inaugural Master Award; author of China's first monograph on SLE |
| Prof. Bao Chunde | Third-generation leader, former department chair | Former Vice Chairman of the Chinese Rheumatology Association and Vice President of the CDA Rheumatology Branch; 40+ years of clinical experience in severe lupus, refractory rheumatoid arthritis, amyopathic dermatomyositis with severe interstitial pneumonia, and ANCA-associated vasculitis; recipient of the National Science and Technology Progress Award (Second Class) |
| Prof. Shen Nan | Current department chair | Distinguished Professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Honorary Distinguished Professor of the Australian National University; Chief Scientist of the National 973 Program; recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars; Director of the Shanghai Clinical Medical Center for Autoimmune Diseases; 100+ papers in Science, Cell, Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine, Immunity, JEM, JCI, PNAS; Associate Editor of DUBOIS' Lupus Erythematosus and Related Syndromes (8th edition); recipient of the ACR Edmund Dubois Memorial Award |
| Prof. Lü Liangjing | Deputy chair | Chief Scientist of a National 973 Program; Deputy Director of the Shanghai Institute of Rheumatology |
| Prof. Guo Qiang | Deputy chair | Chief Physician |
| Prof. Chen Sheng | Administrative deputy chair | Chief Physician; postdoctoral fellow at the U.S. NIH |
Team size: 36 clinical physicians, 10 full-time researchers, 34 nursing staff; nearly all junior/mid-career physicians hold master's degrees or above, and more than half have studied abroad.
Core Strengths & Signature Technologies
1. Comprehensive SLE Care
- Internationally leading expertise covering lupus nephritis, neuropsychiatric lupus, and lupus in pregnancy
2. Personalized Lupus Nephritis Therapy
- Renal-biopsy-based individualized treatment has reduced the 10-year end-stage renal disease rate to 2.17% (far below the ~25% reported in European cohorts)
- Findings incorporated into international lupus nephritis treatment guidelines
3. Inflammatory Joint Diseases
- Standardized biologic therapy and targeted treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
- Research on iguratimod for rheumatoid arthritis cited in the APLAR rheumatoid arthritis treatment guidelines
4. Critical & Complex Rheumatic Disease Care
- Operates the only rheumatology ICU in China (8 beds)
- Shanghai's largest caseload of complex/critical SLE and dermatomyositis
- Over 70% of admissions are key/complex disease categories
5. Clinical Research & Cell Therapy
- Continuously runs 40+ multi-center, international multi-center, and investigator-initiated trials
- Over 10 frontier cell-therapy projects
- Chair unit of the Rheumatology & Immunology branch of the autoimmune disease biobank
Scale & Patient Volumes
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Official beds | 126 (including 8 rheumatology ICU beds + 10 GCP research beds) |
| Annual inpatient discharges | 5,000+ |
| Annual outpatient visits | ~300,000 — largest in China for many years |
Research Strengths
- 50+ national and provincial/ministerial projects in the past five years, total funding exceeding RMB 60 million
- 200+ papers as first/corresponding author in the past five years in Cell, Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine, Immunity, Lancet Rheumatology, Nature Communications, Blood, PNAS, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Arthritis & Rheumatology
- Long-term collaborations with Stanford University, University of Washington, Australian National University, University of Manchester (UK), and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (USA)
- Lead drafter of the Chinese Rheumatology Association's SLE and antiphospholipid syndrome treatment guidelines
- 13 national and provincial/ministerial awards, including the National Science and Technology Progress Award, Chinese Medical Association Science and Technology Award, and Ministry of Education Science and Technology Progress Award
Address & Contact
- East Campus: 160 Pujian Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai
- West Campus: 145 Shandong Middle Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai (adjacent to the Bund)
- South Campus: Pujiang Town, Minhang District
- North Campus: Juye Road, Pudong New Area
- Hospital switchboard: +86-21-58752345
Shanghai is China's largest city with two international airports (Pudong PVG and Hongqiao SHA), excellent global connectivity, and world-class hospitality infrastructure.
This guide is prepared for an international audience. If you need assistance with medical consultation, appointment booking, or travel arrangements to Renji Hospital's Rheumatology Department, contact Medora for personalized support.
Need personalized hospital recommendations?
Turn this research into an action plan: get tailored hospital recommendations matched to your condition, budget, and timeline.
✓ Free consultation · Response within 24 hours · 100+ international patients served