On November 22, 2023, the Chinese Academy of Engineering announced the results of the 2023 Academician Selection, unveiling the list of elected academicians in a public notice. Among the 74 distinguished individuals elected, Professor Xia Ningshao, the world's first developer of the Hepatitis E (HEV) vaccine, was honored as an Academician in the Medical and Health Sciences Division of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Born in 1964 in Loudi, Hunan, Professor Xia currently serves as a professor at the School of Life Sciences/Public Health at Xiamen University and is the Director of the National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Disease. He is also the former Dean at the School of Public Health at Xiamen University.

Professor Xia has devoted his career to the innovation and applied research of vaccines and diagnostics for infectious disease. Under his leadership, the team established the engineering technology system for prokaryotic expression VLP human vaccines. Their accomplishments include the development of the world's first HEV vaccine, the first domestically-produced Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, the  world first intranasal spray influenza virus vector COVID-19 vaccine, the new generation of international "gold standard" HEV diagnostic reagent, the world's first HIV urine antibody self-test reagent, the world first antibody diagnostic reagent for COVID-19, and the first domestically-produced third-generation diagnostic reagent for HIV, among other innovative products.

Hepatitis E is an acute viral hepatitis caused by the HEV, primarily transmitted through the digestive system. Globally, over 20 million people are infected with HEV each year, resulting in more than 3 million cases of acute hepatitis and 57,000 deaths. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable, with a mortality rate of 20%, often leading to miscarriages and stillbirths.

Professor Xia's team achieved a groundbreaking milestone by developing the world's first HEV vaccine with complete independent intellectual property rights. In August 2010, results from the Phase III clinical trial of the HEV vaccine were published in top international medical journals such as The Lancet, demonstrating 100% protective efficacy in healthy individuals. This success not only designated Hepatitis E as the 28th preventable infectious disease in China through vaccination but also challenged conventional perceptions in the global biopharmaceutical field. It confirmed the feasibility of utilizing Escherichia coli for vaccine development, paving the way for the development of genetic engineering vaccines.

The election of Professor Xia Ningshao as an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering is a high commendation and praise for his years of dedicated research and tireless efforts in the field of biotechnology. It is also a significant inspiration for the accomplishments of medical research in China. We look forward to Professor Xia's continued leadership in medical innovation, contributing further wisdom and strength to the global healthcare industry.