On December 8th, the 2019 International Conference for Big Data and Intelligent Health was convened at Zhejiang University. The conference was co-organized by School of Public Health, the Second Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine and the National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine at Zhejiang University. Themed on “Population Health and Intelligent Medicine in the Era of Big Data”, it attracted more than 200 participants from academic and industry. Prof. WU Xifeng, dean of School of Public Health, and Dr. WANG Jianan, president of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, were the co-chairs of the conference.

“China's national health strategy has shifted from disease treatment to prevention, which emphasizes the caring of people's health in all aspects through their whole life course. Based on these national strategies, the concept of ‘Big Health’ has emerged. In face of national ‘Big Health’, Zhejiang University is obligated to assist in healthcare development with distinct Chinese characteristics. Researchers in public health field at Zhejiang University will keep up with the advancing technology, and work together to promote the development of intelligentized ‘Big Health’” said Prof. LUO Jianhong, vice president of Zhejiang University.

Keynote speakers from China, the UK, Germany, the US, and Australia presented on the latest research findings on big data and precision health, big cohort studies, and AI and intelligent medicine. This conference offered a great opportunity for academic exchanges and regarding the development big data and intelligent health, it will also provide strong policy support for the optimization of the population health service system in China.