Professor Li Renke, a leading cardiovascular scientist known for applying engineering principles to human cardiac muscle and developing conductive biomaterials to repair post-infarction damage, died at the age of 65. He passed away on October 10 while attending an academic conference in Xi'an, China, according to SCMP. The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen), announced on its website that the professor died "due to illness".

Born in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, in 1961, Professor Li graduated from Harbin Medical University, Shanxi Medical University, and the University of Toronto, Canada. He earned a bachelor's degree in medicine, a master's degree in preventive medicine, and a doctoral degree in clinical biochemistry. He began lecturing at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Medicine in 1993 and became a tenured professor in 2002.

Professor Li Renke. Photo: CUHK-Shenzhen

During his distinguished research career in Canada, he was elected as an academician of three leading national academic organizations: the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. In March 2025, he joined CUHK-Shenzhen full-time as a chair professor and associate dean of medicine, directly leading research and technology transfer initiatives.

Professor Li was an internationally recognized pioneering scientist in cardiovascular regenerative medicine and medical bioengineering. According to CUHK-Shenzhen, he was the first scientist globally to receive FDA approval to implement stem cell transplantation for heart failure treatment. He was also the first to apply conductive biomaterials in arrhythmia research. He laid the foundation for entirely new heart failure treatments by elucidating three core mechanisms of regenerative medicine: "repair, regeneration, and rejuvenation".

For decades, one of the biggest challenges in cardiology has been regenerating myocardial tissue damaged by infarction. Professor Li addressed this issue by combining tissue engineering and cell therapy. He pioneered the development of conductive biomaterials designed to restore the heart's electrical conduction network, aiding in the treatment of post-infarction arrhythmias.

For his outstanding contributions, ScholarGPS recognized him among the top 0,05% of scholars worldwide, ranking him as the global number one in cardiac physiology.

A strong advocate for international cooperation, Professor Li served as the founding chairman of the Chinese Professors Association in Toronto. Throughout his career, he consistently promoted scientific and medical technology exchanges between China and Canada, building lasting academic bridges between the research communities of both nations. In addition to his laboratory research, he placed particular emphasis on training and mentoring the next generation of researchers.

He mentored over 120 postdoctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, and master's students, with over 30 of them becoming professors or clinical scientists at leading universities both domestically and internationally.

A memorial service for Professor Li Renke was held at the Xi'an Funeral Home on October 15. Another commemorative ceremony took place on October 17 at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen campus.

Binh Minh (According to CUHK-Shenzhen, SCMP)