On October 26, 2025, during the closing ceremony of the World Young Scientist Summit (WYSS)2025, The Cuba-China Joint Translational Research Center for Alzheimer's and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases was officially inaugurated . This center is a significant achievement in biotechnology cooperation between China and Cuba, jointly established by Oujiang Laboratory, Wenzhou Medical University, and the Cuban Center for Neuroscience and Center for Molecular Immunology under the Cuba Biopharmaceutical Group .
On the same day, the four parties successfully signed a framework agreement for collaborative construction at the Health Forum held during the summit . The agreement covers areas such as joint drug research and development, infrastructure building, academic exchanges, and industrial application, with a focus on preclinical evaluation of candidate drugs, translational clinical trials, and developing advanced multimodal diagnostic tools for neurodegenerative diseases . The collaboration aims to establish a sustainable academic and scientific cooperation model between China and Cuba, advancing research in brain science and the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases .
Academician Song Weihong, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and Director of Oujiang Laboratory, emphasized that China and Cuba have built a long-term and stable strategic partnership in biomedicine and the bio-industry, laying a solid foundation for deeper collaboration . He noted that Cuban research institutions have distinct advantages in discovering drug targets for Alzheimer's disease and are actively seeking international cooperation to advance mechanistic studies and clinical translation, while Oujiang Laboratory offers strengths in basic research, clinical resources, and translational platforms . The highly complementary advantages of both sides are expected to accelerate breakthroughs in addressing key challenges in Alzheimer's disease prevention and treatment .
Academician Mitchell Valdés-Sosa, Director of the Cuban Center for Neuroscience and Fellow of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, highlighted that Alzheimer's disease has become a major global challenge amid the aging world population . The newly inaugurated joint center will dedicate efforts to basic and translational research on Alzheimer's disease, hoping that close collaboration will lead to the development of innovative therapeutics and contribute to solving this worldwide problem .
The establishment of the center is a landmark outcome of the WYSS in promoting international scientific collaboration and gathering innovative resources . It also represents a major milestone in China-Cuba biotechnology cooperation . Moving forward, the center will conduct joint research on key scientific issues related to Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, accelerate the translation and application of research findings, and strive for original breakthroughs in critical fields such as life health and biomedicine, ultimately contributing to the socio-economic development and improved well-being of both countries and the building of a global community for human health.
