The medical genetic laboratory of Harbin Medical University was established in 1950 by renowned medical genetic expert, Professor Li Pu. Professor Li's initial research in 1956 was on the heredity and development of goldfish as well as the systematic anatomy of lampern; which was followed by research on genetic counseling and study of human chromosome in 1964. The following year, our lab reported a 46, XX/46, XY case; the first reported case of true hermaphroditism chimera in China, as well as the second reported case worldwide. Research on cancer genetics began in 1974,and experimental work on therapy for malignant tumor by reinfusion of PHA activated lymphocyte was carried out on the same year. The laboratory edited and published the first professional medical genetics magazine of Journal of international genetics interiorly in 1978. On the same year, Professor Li's won the Ministry of Health Technology award for his monograph Chromosome and Clinical Practice. Heilongjiang genetics association was founded in the following year, and Professor Li held the post of board chairman.

Our laboratory edited the first Chinese medical genetics monography of medical genetics outline in 1980 and had participated in the nation wide collaborative investigation of hemoglobin in 1982; our laboratory discovered a novel variant of hemoglobin and denominated it Hbharbin. During the late 1980s, our research on the relationship between chromosome fragile site and tumor revealed that chromosome instability had a genetic basis. During the analysis of solid tumor chromosome aberration, we also established a new method of preparation for chromosome specimens of solid tumor. From 1991 to 1994, 8 papers were published in Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics revealed chromosomal changes in human solid tumosr such as esophageal carcinoma, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, carcinoma of penis, nonsmall-cell lung cancer and breast cancer. As a member laboratory of Chinese Human Genetic Program launched in 1993, the laboratory has built up the Harbin bank of Immortalized Cell Banks of Chinese Nationalities through 14 years of collaborative research. In addition to permanently preserved valuable human genetic resource of our country, this resource bank also provides materials for research of Chinese population characteristic and genetic relations and correlation analysis of complex diseases. Meanwhile we participated in the establishment of the international genetic resources bank(Science, 2002). Through analysis distribution of Y-DNA and mtDNA polymorphism, the team systematically charted the genetic structure of different groups of people from Northern China; which included their genetic relations and their status in evolution of modern humans(PNAS, 1998; Am.J.hum.Genet, 2003; J Hum Genet, 2002; Am.J.Hum. Genet, 2005 and Genetics, 2006). The relationships between MTHFR, ApoE and CCR5 gene polymorphism and development of related disease were also intensely studied ( Human Heredity, 2000, 1999).

Our present focus is on the conservation and polymorphrism study of genetic resource of different populations in China, research of DMs' structure and function, structural-functional analysis of human lung and gastic cancer-related genes. The project of chromosomal analysis of solid tumor won the 2nd Prize of State science and technology awards of China in 2001.

Our collaboration with the Medicine-biology Institute and Genetics Institute of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences to establish the "Chinese different ethnic groups" immortalized cell bank and study of genetic diversity of the Chinese nation¡±, won the 2nd prize of State science and technology awards of China in 2005.