Professor Bian Zhaoxiang is a leading expert in Chinese Medicine clinical studies, a respected research scientist in the field of gut dysbiosis, and a relentless advocate for incorporating Chinese Medicine into a holistic healthcare system. Currently, Professor Bian Zhaoxiang holds these positions in the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU: Associate Vice-President for Chinese Medicine Development; Director and Chair Professor of the Clinical Division; Director, Centre for Chinese Herbal Medicine Drug Development; Director, Chinese EQUATOR Centre; and Director, Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Centre. He also serves as an associate editor and editorial board member for many international peer review journals, including Trials, BMC-Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and Chinese Medicine. 

Professor Bian’s academic training includes: BS (Chinese Medicine) and MPhil (Chinese Medicine), from both Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, PhD (Integrative Medicine), Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Professor Bian joined HKBU in 2001. His research focuses on digestive diseases, especially colorectal cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)functional constipation (FC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and on related new drug discovery.  

Another thrust of his professional interests is the design, implementation and reporting of clinical trials with Chinese Medicine. Realizing the imperative need for conducting rigorous, accurate Chinese Medicine clinical studies, Professor Bian initiated the establishment, and later became Director, of the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Clinical Study Centre, the first and only centre focusing on Chinese Medicine clinical trials in Hong Kong. Prof. Bian has been instrumental in developing reporting guidelines for various aspects of Chinese Medicine, from protocol development, trial registration, and outcome reporting to systematic review. Further, Prof Bian has established the Chinese EQUATOR Centre, a center devoted to enhancing the quality and transparency of health research in general and of clinical research in Chinese Medicine in particular. 

Prof Bian has been, and is a long-time advocate for the establishment of a Chinese Medicine Hospital (CMH) in Hong Kong.  In June 2021, Hong Kong Baptist University was selected by the HKSAR Government as the contractor for the service deed of Hong Kong’s first CMH. Prof Bian will continue his efforts to make this historical project a big success. 

As of August 2021, Professor Bian has registered 72 patents, and presented and/or published over 500 papers in journals, books and conferences. In collaboration with researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he led a research team that developed a new herbal medicine for IBS.  In 2014, the NMPA of China granted a clinical trial license for the drug; in 2016 the formula was licensed to a drug company. For his outstanding research, Prof Bian has received local, national and international awards including second prize in the National Science and Technology Advancement Award of China. 

1. Basic mechanism of visceral hyperalgesia and gastrointestinal motility disorder and its associated depression.
2. The design, implementation and reporting of clinical trial with Chinese medicine for digestive diseases, especially colorectal cancer, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional constipation (FC), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
3. New drug development based on Chinese herbal medicine and its active fraction for digestive diseases. 
4. Reporting guidelines for various aspects of Chinese Medicine, from protocol development, trial registration, and outcome reporting to systematic review.