The National Science and Technology Conference, along with the National Science and Technology Awards and the Academicians' Conference, was held on the morning of the June 24th. The 2023 National Science and Technology Awards have selected a total of 2 recipients for the highest national science and technology award, 49 for the National Natural Science Award, 62 for the National Technological Invention Award, and 139 for the National Science and Technology Progress Award, with 10 individuals receiving the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award of the People's Republic of China.

HUST, as the primary completing unit, has won three major national science and technology awards for the year 2023 with a total of 7 projects. Among them, the team led by Professor Chen Lili from the Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College has been honored with the Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award.  

Skeletal malocclusion is one of the most common developmental abnormalities in the oral and maxillofacial region, with a high incidence rate of 27.9%, severely affecting the function of the stomatognathic system, facial aesthetics, and overall well-being. The early prevention, rapid treatment, and effective management of malocclusion have always been at the forefront of global oral medical research.  

With continuous support from key national research and development plans, as well as national natural science funds for outstanding and excellent youth and key projects, Professor Chen Lili's team has made significant breakthroughs after 17 years of interdisciplinary research. They have established new strategies for the early and precise prevention of deformities, innovated new technologies to accelerate orthodontics, and created a new system for healthy light-force orthodontic treatment.  

The team pioneered a quantitative staging method for cervical bone age and a personalized early prevention orthodontic device, achieving a joint innovation of early prevention concepts and technologies, significantly reducing the incidence of severe skeletal malocclusion. They have also developed new types of micro-magnetic and multifunctional near-infrared orthodontic accelerators to efficiently promote bone reconstruction and tooth movement. Additionally, they invented a low-friction transmission straight-wire orthodontic device and technique, which precisely applies force for healthy orthodontic treatment, reducing the incidence of tooth root absorption above level II by 50%, and the occurrence of alveolar bone windowing/fissuring by 30%, and the rate of orthographic surgery by 20-30%.  

The team's products have been granted 7 medical device registration certificates and have received international FDA and CE certifications. They have been promoted and applied in over 2000 oral medical institutions across 19 countries, benefiting more than 2 million patients.