At 10 am on February 19, a COVID-19 research team jointly established by Harvard University (HU), Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health (GIRH) and Evergrande Group held the second video conference which lasted for more than two hours.

According to the list of attendees, this research team has gathered some of the most prestigious experts from home and abroad, including Zhong Nanshan, leader of the High-level Expert Group of National Health Commission of PRC and academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE); George Daley, Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Harvard Medical School (HMS); David Golan, Dean for HMS Research Operations and Global Programs, Arlene Sharpe, chair of the Department of Immunology of HMS and fellow of AAAS; Bruce Walker, director of the Ragon Institute of Harvard University; Marc Lipsitch, director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard University; Lindsey Baden, Director of Infectious Diseases at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; He Jianxing, president of GIRH, and Zhao Jincun, deputy director of State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease (SKLRD). This is indeed a world class research team.

Lawrence S. Bacow, president of Harvard University, said that HU is very thankful for the opportunity to be part of the team to help overcome the prevailing challenge faced by human beings, and that they are confident about the joint research efforts of HU and GIRH in helping win the battle against COVID-19.

Academician Zhong Nanshan said that, with the concerted efforts of the three parties, the research team is expected to achieve some research result on the earliest possible date to help prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, improve the medical treatment of the patients, and eventually eliminate the threat of COVID-19 over people’s health and life safety.