Li Quanlin
Chief Physician, PhD Supervisor.
Deputy Director and Director Assistant of the Endoscopy Center at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Member of the All-China Youth Federation and Standing Committee Member of the Shanghai Youth Federation.

Professional Affiliations:

Youth Committee Member, Chinese Society of Digestive Endoscopy (CSDE)

Committee Member and Secretary-General, Digestive Endoscopy Branch of Shanghai Medical Association

Member, CSDE Tunnel Technique Collaboration Group

Secretary, CSDE NOTES Working Group

Committee Member, Tumor Endoscopy Committee of China Anti-Cancer Association

Vice Chair, Digestive Endoscopy Committee of China Medicine Education Association

Honors and Awards:

National Ten Thousand Talents Program Young Top-notch Talent

Shanghai Outstanding Academic Leader

Shanghai Dawn Scholar

Shanghai Young Top-notch Talent

Shanghai Youth Science and Technology Rising Star

Shanghai Outstanding Young Medical Talent

Recipient of the China Anti-Cancer Association Young Scientist Award, Wu Mengchao Medical Youth Fund Award, Shanghai May 4th Youth Medal, and Fudan University Top Ten Medical Practitioners Award

Clinical Expertise:
Specializes in endoscopic minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases. Pioneers advanced endoscopic techniques, performing over 1,000 annual cases of Level 4 endoscopic surgeries, including:

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) for early gastrointestinal cancers and submucosal tumors

Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) for achalasia

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for pancreatobiliary disorders

Academic Contributions:
Delivered 100+ keynote speeches and live surgical demonstrations at international conferences (e.g., DDW, UEGW, APDW). Led 17 national and provincial research projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Publications and Impact:

84 first/corresponding-author SCI papers in Gastroenterology, Gut, Nature Communications, etc.

3,504 citations, H-index of 32

Cited in 20 international guidelines (U.S., European, and Japanese endoscopy societies)

Beneath the glareless surgical lamps, his hands unravel cocoons in mucosal labyrinths,
Guiding endoscopes like a maestro’s baton to decode life’s most delicate ciphers.

A Timeless Resolve
Years later, time seems to have spared him its marks—save for eyes now anchored in quiet resolve.
The same fervor burns, tempered by wisdom’s patina. His gaze speaks volumes:
a life wholly surrendered to medicine’s calling.

Beyond the Scope
Today, his domain expands beyond clinical and research frontiers—
orchestrating department operations, mentoring rising talents,
and igniting revolutions in endoscopic innovation.

Vision in Focus
“Endoscopic breakthroughs transcend technical mastery,” he reflects, a visionary’s fire in his eyes.
“They demand new disciplinary paradigms—and above all, a humanistic philosophy.”

Footprints Forward
Life’s clearest imprints are etched on its muddiest paths.
To grasp the unprecedented, one must pioneer the unexplored.

Odyssey of Light
With the vigor of youth and clarity of purpose,
he charts a medical odyssey—
where exploration and innovation illuminate every step.

Reunion of Old Friends
In six years, Li Quanlin has grown from a young associate chief physician to a chief physician and has also taken on the role of deputy director of the department. He says he is “still young and has much to learn from his seniors,” but it is evident that the passage of time has propelled him to new heights, bringing with it greater expectations and responsibilities for the future. “The department has given me many opportunities for growth over the years, but it has also brought more responsibilities and challenges,” he reflects. In recent years, he has earned many new titles and honors, but what he values most is when others say, “You are a good doctor.” For him, no matter what the future holds, striving to perfect his medical skills remains his ultimate pursuit.

In 2019, the endoscopy center at Zhongshan Hospital performed 100,000 endoscopic surgeries, and by 2024, that number had risen to nearly 200,000, providing the department with even more opportunities for development. “In the field of digestive endoscopy, we are actually one of the fastest-advancing disciplines in the entire medical field. In the past, endoscopy was merely a diagnostic tool, but now we can perform many complex surgeries through endoscopy, such as early tumor resection and the treatment of stromal tumors. These achievements have been published in top-tier journals,” he explains. It is precisely this continuous technological breakthrough that has allowed Li Quanlin to grow increasingly mature in his specialty and to focus more intently on providing higher-quality medical care to his patients.

Today, Li Quanlin also shoulders the responsibilities of deputy director of the department, devoting part of his energy to departmental management. Since taking on this role, he has come to realize the complexity and importance of management work. Although management is not his forte, he is determined to continuously learn and improve in this area. “In the past, my career was more focused on how to perform surgeries well, but now I need to consider more things from the perspective of the department’s development,” he says. In Li Quanlin’s view, enabling the department’s doctors to happily do what they excel at is one of the shortcuts to the department’s success. From the perspective of individual doctor development, focus and systematicity are two indispensable elements. “Being able to do one thing well in a lifetime is already remarkable. One must never be indecisive, especially in our field of clinical medicine,” he emphasizes. For this reason, Li Quanlin often reminds himself and younger doctors to calm their minds, work systematically and deeply, and only then can they achieve success and make a difference in patient care.

A good doctor not only requires superb medical skills but, more importantly, a sense of dedication and purity. On the long and arduous path of medicine, only through calm focus and continuous depth can one achieve the extraordinary.

Continuously Pioneering New Techniques with a Patient-Centered Approach

As one of the nation’s top hospitals and best endoscopy centers, it attracts numerous patients with complex and rare conditions seeking help each year.

Esophageal Diverticulum: A Rare Condition
Esophageal diverticulum, particularly Zenker’s diverticulum, is a rare disease with an incidence rate of only 0.01% to 0.11%. Traditional endoscopic treatments can alleviate symptoms but carry a high risk of perforation. Patients often visit the hospital due to difficulty swallowing, accompanied by retrosternal pain and occasional food regurgitation.

“These patients often seek care in departments like oral medicine or otolaryngology, but they usually end up feeling lost as their issues remain unresolved. In fact, esophageal diverticulum is a rare condition where the diverticulum typically forms at the pharyngoesophageal junction. A portion of the esophageal wall bulges outward, creating a pouch that can trap food, leading to symptoms like dysphagia and retrosternal pain,” explained the doctors.

Innovative Endoscopic Technique: STESD
Under the leadership of Professor Zhou Pinghong, the endoscopy center team at Zhongshan Hospital pioneered a groundbreaking endoscopic technique—Submucosal Tunneling Endoscopic Septum Division (STESD)—to treat this condition. Compared to traditional endoscopic methods, STESD offers significant advantages.

“Traditional endoscopic treatments require cutting through the mucosal and muscular layers, which can lead to severe complications like esophageal perforation, with an incidence rate as high as 6.5%. In contrast, STESD creates a submucosal tunnel, clearly exposing the entire esophageal diverticulum septum while preserving the integrity of the esophageal mucosa. This greatly reduces the risks of perforation and infection,” they elaborated.

During the procedure, the endoscope is guided through the patient’s mouth to the location of the esophageal diverticulum. Under endoscopic guidance, the doctor selects an appropriate spot on the esophageal wall to establish a submucosal tunnel. Through this tunnel, the septum of the diverticulum is clearly visualized, and a specialized electrosurgical knife is used to precisely divide the septum, allowing food residue in the diverticulum to flow smoothly into the esophagus.

“The STESD technique enables us to perform surgeries more safely. The creation of the tunnel not only stabilizes the endoscope but also provides an optimal operating space, ensuring the complete division of the diverticulum septum and a thorough resolution of the problem,” they added.

Appendix Tumors: A Breakthrough in Endoscopic Surgery
Among all gastrointestinal tumors, appendix tumors often require traditional surgical treatment, which is highly invasive and can lead to the loss of the ileocecal valve, significantly impacting the patient’s quality of life and causing symptoms like recurrent diarrhea.

The endoscopy center team at Zhongshan Hospital has gradually overcome this challenge through endoscopic techniques.

“We once treated a young patient with an appendix tumor. After careful analysis, we decided to address it endoscopically. We removed the tumor from the appendiceal orifice in the cecum, then used minimally invasive instruments to enter the abdominal cavity, ultimately detaching the appendix from the mesentery and extracting it from the intestine,” they shared.

The success of this surgery alleviated the patient’s pain and preserved the critical anatomical structure of the ileocecal valve. The entire procedure left no abdominal incisions or scars, allowing for the complete removal of the appendiceal lesion and the appendix itself, avoiding residual disease and postoperative appendicitis. Additionally, secure double-layer suturing reduced the risk of delayed perforation.

“It can be said that treating appendix tumors with endoscopic techniques represents a breakthrough in surgical technology. After recovery, the patient’s quality of life remained largely unaffected. Especially when dealing with complex and rare conditions, advancements in endoscopic technology have opened up more possibilities for patients,” they concluded.

From “Endoscopy Room” to “Endoscopy Science”: A Visionary Journey
Reflecting on the development of the Endoscopy Center at Zhongshan Hospital, it was Professor Yao Liqing who laid the foundation, and later, Professor Zhou Pinghong elevated endoscopic techniques to unprecedented heights. In 2006, Professor Zhou traveled across the ocean to the United States to learn advanced endoscopic surgical techniques. Upon his return, he pioneered Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD), ushering in a new era for the treatment of early superficial cancers in the digestive tract. Through continuous exploration, he gradually expanded the indications for endoscopic surgery. For deep submucosal tumors, he internationally pioneered techniques such as Endoscopic Submucosal Excavation (ESE), Full-Thickness Resection (EFR), and Submucosal Tunneling Endoscopic Resection for Extraluminal Tumors (STER-ET). These breakthroughs shattered the limitations of endoscopy being only capable of removing superficial tumors, successfully propelling endoscopic technology into a new era of submucosal tumor treatment. Consequently, international guidelines revised related contraindications into indications.

In the treatment of stromal tumors, Professor Zhou carved out a new path for endoscopic surgery. Using the endoscope as a “magic wand,” he performed precise operations within the patient’s body, skillfully avoiding complex blood vessels and nerves to completely remove the tumors. This approach reduced patient suffering, shortened recovery times, and allowed patients to return to normal life more quickly. His work brought China’s endoscopic technology into the global spotlight, making it a focal point in the medical community worldwide.

“With the advancement of endoscopic technology, we have transformed many traditional views on surgery. In the past, endoscopy was merely an auxiliary diagnostic tool, but now it has become a true ‘scalpel.’ Through endoscopy, doctors can directly observe, detect, and treat lesions, achieving breakthroughs from the surface to the depths and from the inside out,” shared Li Quanlin.

In 2016, the Endoscopy Center at Zhongshan Hospital became the first in the world to use endoscopy to remove extraluminal tumors through a submucosal tunnel in the digestive tract. This marked a new era for endoscopic surgery, breaking traditional limitations. In 2020, this technique was published in GUT, a top international gastroenterology journal, establishing a Chinese “gold standard” for endoscopy. By 2024, the successful demonstration of “ultra-minimally invasive” endoscopic resection of pleural tumors further solidified the center’s leading position in this field.

Despite these remarkable achievements, endoscopic surgery still faces challenges and bottlenecks that require more scientific research and medical-engineering collaborations to drive the discipline forward. “Since endoscopy has only one lumen, lacking the multiple cameras and robotic arms of traditional surgery, the operations are more complex. Our team is working on developing more advanced endoscopic devices to further propel the technology,” said the team.

The Endoscopy Center at Zhongshan Hospital has participated in numerous medical-engineering transformation projects. For instance, the application of artificial intelligence not only enhances diagnostic and treatment levels but also helps young doctors master endoscopic techniques, gradually building a world-class endoscopy team. “These technologies can reduce disparities between hospitals and doctors, standardize endoscopic techniques, and improve cure rates,” they explained.

Today, endoscopy plays a crucial role throughout the entire process of diagnosing and treating digestive tract diseases. From early tumor screening to lesion diagnosis, and from surgical decision-making to execution, endoscopy has become indispensable. Particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of early-stage tumors, Zhongshan Hospital has established a mature technical system, providing patients with better treatment options.

When it comes to basic research, Li Quanlin believes it is an indispensable part of the development of endoscopy science, potentially serving as the key to achieving breakthroughs from 0 to 1. “Basic research is not just about improving existing technologies but also exploring uncharted territories, providing a continuous source of innovation for endoscopy science,” he emphasized. The importance of basic research lies in its ability to drive technological advancements and help solve many unavoidable clinical problems.

Another significant contribution of basic research is its ability to adapt endoscopic techniques to more diseases and complex lesions. For example, by delving into the pathological characteristics under endoscopy, scientists can develop new diagnostic reagents and tools, further enhancing the accuracy and reliability of endoscopic examinations. Additionally, basic research provides a more scientific theoretical foundation for endoscopic surgery, helping doctors devise more rational surgical plans and postoperative management strategies.

“This provides us with a solid theoretical foundation, making endoscopic technology more mature in practice and continuously expanding into new application areas. Only through robust basic research can we break through the limitations of existing technologies and achieve the comprehensive establishment and development of endoscopy science. Basic research is not only the source of technological progress but also the cornerstone of disciplinary independence,” Li Quanlin stated.

Through basic research, more innovative young doctors and researchers can be cultivated, laying a talent foundation for the long-term development of endoscopy science. At the same time, basic research promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, integrating endoscopy technology with fields such as imaging and bioengineering, further elevating the overall level of endoscopic technology.

“I believe that through continuous basic research, endoscopic technology will become even more mature and widely applied in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. Ultimately, endoscopy science will develop into a comprehensive discipline, bringing hope and healing to more patients,” Li Quanlin concluded.

Under the leadership of Professor Zhou Pinghong, Li Quanlin and his colleagues are writing a new chapter in the development of endoscopy. Every day and night of dedication, every technological breakthrough, is a testament to their respect and guardianship of patients’ lives.

 

ShanghaiDoctor.cn

Director Li, what do you think is the importance of basic medical science in the future development of healthcare? What specific impacts does it have on clinicians？

Dr. Li Quanlin

 

The role of basic medical science in the development of healthcare cannot be overlooked. It provides us with a solid scientific theoretical foundation, enabling us to better understand the nature and mechanisms of diseases. In recent years, with the rapid advancements in fields such as genomics and molecular biology, the research outcomes of basic medical science have continuously translated into clinical applications. For instance, the rise of precision medicine is a result of the integration of basic and clinical medical sciences. Through genetic testing, we can more accurately assess a patient’s condition, thereby formulating personalized treatment plans. This not only enhances the effectiveness of treatments but also reduces unnecessary wastage of medical resources. The progress in basic medical science has also spurred the development of new drugs and technologies, significantly improving the treatment experience and quality of life for patients. As clinicians, we must not limit ourselves to existing technologies and methods; instead, we should continuously learn and stay updated with the latest advancements in basic medical science to better apply them in clinical practice.

 

ShanghaiDoctor.cn

Director Li, how do you balance your time, enhance your capabilities, and practice “great love” and “small righteousness” in both your work and life? How has this contributed to your career?

Dr. Li Quanlin

 

I create detailed plans and prioritize tasks to ensure that I dedicate sufficient time each day to the most important work and learning. Simultaneously, I also set aside time to spend with my family, and I am gratified to see that my children have grown alongside me, which brings me great satisfaction. In terms of enhancing my capabilities, I regularly attend academic conferences and training sessions to continuously update myself on the latest medical knowledge and techniques. Additionally, I engage in reading professional literature and participating in research projects to constantly improve my scientific research abilities. As for “great love” and “small righteousness,” I believe they are not contradictory. In medical practice, showing compassion and patience to every patient is a manifestation of “great love.” At the same time, I also pay attention to my family and team members, which is the embodiment of “small righteousness.” Only by doing so can I maintain a high sense of responsibility and mission in my work while ensuring the quality of both my personal life and professional endeavors. This balance and continuous improvement have greatly contributed to my career, enabling me to make progress on multiple levels.

 

ShanghaiDoctor.cn

You mentioned the importance of having a holistic view while also continuously adapting to new medical technologies. Could you elaborate on the relationship between these two aspects?

Dr. Li Quanlin

 

The integration of a holistic view and adaptability is an essential quality for us medical professionals. A holistic view means we must approach medical issues from a comprehensive perspective, focusing not only on our specialized fields but also on the development of the entire healthcare system and the overall needs of patients. This is why we often emphasize multidisciplinary collaboration, as only through the collective efforts of a multidisciplinary team can we provide the most comprehensive and scientifically sound treatment plans for patients. Meanwhile, the rapid advancement of medical technology requires us to continuously learn and adapt to new techniques. This goes beyond mere technical updates; it involves a transformation in our mindset and work methods. For instance, endoscopy was once merely a diagnostic tool, but now we can perform many complex surgeries, such as early-stage tumor removal, through endoscopy. The application of these new technologies demands constant learning and practice to ensure patients can benefit from them. The fusion of a holistic view and adaptability enables us to maintain keen insight and efficient execution in a rapidly evolving medical environment. Only in this way can we better address various challenges and deliver the best possible medical care to our patients.

 

ShanghaiDoctor.cn

You emphasized the importance of systematic learning. For young doctors, what kind of dream should they hold in their hearts? How can they continuously pursue higher goals throughout their careers?

Dr. Li Quanlin

 

Systematic learning is a crucial pathway for the growth of young doctors. In the field of medicine, knowledge and technology evolve rapidly, and only through continuous and systematic learning can one keep pace with these advancements. Every young doctor should harbor the dream of becoming a great physician—one who genuinely solves patients’ problems and drives medical progress. To achieve this dream, it is essential to have a clear career plan and goals. This involves creating a detailed learning plan, actively participating in academic exchanges and research projects, and constantly enhancing one’s professional capabilities. Moreover, a sense of responsibility and mission is vital. We must always prioritize patients and work tirelessly for their well-being. This mindset not only earns the trust and praise of patients but also fuels our motivation to pursue excellence in our work. Additionally, it is important to balance teamwork with personal development. Each individual has their own expertise and strengths, and we must learn to collaborate effectively, maximizing our contributions within the team. I often tell young doctors that one may only excel in one thing in a lifetime, so it is crucial to stay focused and engage in systematic learning and practice. In this way, we can achieve breakthroughs in our respective fields and contribute to the advancement of our departments and the broader medical community.

 

ShanghaiDoctor.cn

What’s your view on the importance of science popularization in medical work? What science - popularization work have you done?

Dr. Li Quanlin

 

Medical Science popularization is extremely important in medical work. Through science popularization, patients can better understand their own diseases, which increases their confidence in treatment and treatment compliance. This can also effectively reduce misunderstandings and conflicts between doctors and patients, and help establish a more harmonious doctor - patient relationship. As doctors, we should not only treat diseases and save lives, but also popularize medical knowledge to raise public health awareness. I’ve done quite a lot of work in this regard. For example, I often publish articles about digestive endoscopy and early cancer screening on the hospital’s official WeChat account and social media to help patients understand the importance and application methods of these technologies. I’ve also participated in some public lectures and health publicity day activities, answering patients’ and the public’s questions face - to - face. Through these efforts, I’ve seen many patients benefit from science popularization, which makes me feel really gratified. In addition, our department regularly organizes in - house training to let young doctors and medical staff learn about the latest medical knowledge and technologies, thus improving their science - popularization capabilities. I hope that through these efforts, we can not only improve the treatment effects for patients, but also establish a good image of the Endoscopy Center of Zhongshan Hospital in society.。

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