From April 16th to 18th, 2021, the "2021 Inaugural Sichuan Provincial Bioinformatics Society Smart Endoscopy Branch Establishment Conference and International Digestion and Endoscopy Academic Conference," hosted by the Sichuan Provincial Bioinformatics Society and co-organized by West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Chengdu Second People's Hospital, was successfully held at the Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center in Chengdu.

    This conference was conducted in a hybrid format, combining online and offline participation. It featured esteemed speakers such as Professor Malay Sharma from Jaswant Rai Hospital in India, Praveer Rai from SGPGIMS Hospital in India, Professor Saowanee Ngamruengphong and Professor Elinor Zhou from Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States, Professor Juliana F. Yang from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Professor Maoyin Pang from the Mayo Clinic, Professor Yanshi Zhao from Loma Linda University, and Professor Eva Fontagnier from Johns Hopkins Medicine Dubai at Tawam Hospital. Additionally, Professor Tang Chengwei, the incoming director of the Gastroenterology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and from West China Hospital of Sichuan University, delivered a wonderful keynote academic report. The opening ceremony was hosted by Professor Hu Bing, with speeches by Professor Tang Chengwei and Shen Bairong, the president of the Sichuan Provincial Bioinformatics Society. The conference included a total of 53 academic reports, including 8 themed reports by international experts, 33 offline conference reports, and 12 case sharing sessions, with over 300 colleagues in the field of gastroenterology participating in offline academic exchanges.

    The academic content of this conference covered hot topics and clinical challenges in gastroenterology, including gastrointestinal artificial intelligence, medical engineering, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas diseases, endoscopy, gut microbiota, prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal tract tumors, and diseases of the esophagus and intestines. It reflected new technologies, guidelines, and perspectives, focusing on changes in clinical practice and providing a rich academic feast that meets the knowledge update needs of physicians in different subspecialties of gastroenterology.

    The successful holding of this conference marked a celebration for the establishment of the first Smart Endoscopy Branch of the Sichuan Provincial Bioinformatics Society. It has significantly promoted academic research and exchanges among domestic and international gastroenterology colleagues, advanced the development of bioinformatics and smart medical fields, enhanced the national reputation of our province's gastroenterology specialty, and played an active role in promoting the development of gastroenterology in our province.