The Gastroenterology Department of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine was founded in 1984 by Academician Jiang Shaoji and Professor Xiao Shudong. It is one of the main medical, scientific research, and teaching bases for gastroenterology in China. Renji Gastroenterology is a national (Ministry of Education) key discipline, Shanghai Municipal Government key discipline, Shanghai Digestive Medicine Clinical Medical Center, Shanghai Digestive Medicine Clinical Quality Control Center, and National Health Commission Digestive Medicine Key Laboratory. In 2011, it ranked first in the national evaluation by the Ministry of Health and was included in the "National Clinical Key Specialty", and ranked second in the construction of the "National Clinical Key Specialty (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health)". In the same year, the discipline became one of the first batch of top clinical medical centers in Shanghai. Renji Digestive Medicine has been ranked first on the Best Specialty Reputation List of Chinese Hospitals for four consecutive years in the Digestive Disease Specialty List.

Renji Gastroenterology (East West South Branch) has 166 inpatient beds, a clinical endoscopy center of 4600 square meters, a laboratory space of 1600 square meters, and complete and advanced basic and clinical research equipment. In recent years, the annual outpatient volume has exceeded 700000 people, ranking first in the country. It has gathered difficult and critically ill patients from all over the country, forming a series of clinical diagnosis and treatment characteristics, including gastrointestinal tumors and their precancerous diseases, chronic liver diseases (autoimmune liver disease, drug-induced liver disease, fatty liver disease, and severe liver disease), Helicobacter pylori and its related diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal psychosomatic diseases, small intestinal bleeding, and endoscopic early cancer diagnosis and treatment. Every year, there are over 260000 endoscopic diagnoses and treatments, including capsule endoscopy, enteroscopy, narrowband imaging and pigment endoscopy, magnifying endoscopy, laser confocal microscopy, autofluorescence endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasonography, retrograde cholangiopancreatography, endoscopic mucosal resection techniques (EMR, ESD, POEM), digestive tract stenosis dilation and stent placement, endoscopic treatment of esophageal and gastric varices, etc. It is one of the most comprehensive institutions in China to carry out endoscopic diagnosis and treatment projects. Renji Digestive not only practiced the purpose of benevolent techniques to help the world and save people from illness, but also incorporated Renji's experience into the history of Chinese and global health. There is currently one full-time "Changjiang Scholar" specially appointed professor and one lecture professor from the Ministry of Education, two recipients of the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund, 13 doctoral supervisors, and 18 master's supervisors in the discipline. Over the years, we have received over 200 National Natural Science Foundation projects, published over 500 SCI papers, and won 4 National Science and Technology Progress Awards as the first author, as well as about 30 provincial and ministerial level Science and Technology Progress Awards. The discipline has led the development and writing of multiple clinical guidelines and expert consensus in the field of digestive diseases, including the "Chinese Consensus on Gastritis", "Chinese Consensus on Colorectal Cancer Prevention", "Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Autoimmune Hepatitis", "Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Drug induced Liver Injury", "Treatment Opinions on Diagnosis and Consensus of Inflammatory Bowel Disease", "Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for Helicobacter pylori", and so on. The discipline not only has leading advantages in China, but also has a high academic status and influence internationally. The unique quadruple therapy in the field of Helicobacter pylori has become the only treatment plan in China that has been included in international guidelines; The pioneering treatment of small intestinal vascular malformation bleeding with thalidomide is strongly recommended by the International Guidelines of the American Society of Gastroenterology; The study on diagnostic criteria for autoimmune liver disease has been cited and promoted by international guidelines. Renji Digestive Medicine has always been committed to promoting the growth of grassroots specialized physicians and improving their medical level, achieving homogenization of clinical diagnosis and treatment. The discipline has held more than 20 continuing education classes, including "Intestinal Dysfunction and Colorectal Cancer", "Progress in Diagnosis and Treatment of Autoimmune Liver Disease", "Advanced Training Class for Diagnosis and Treatment of Early Gastrointestinal Cancer", "Advanced Seminar on Basic Research and Clinical New Technologies of Inflammatory Bowel Disease", "Progress in Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Gastritis", "Key Technologies for Clinical Diagnosis, Treatment and Health Management of Non viral Liver Disease", and so on. Every year, more than 100 backbone specialists in the field of digestion are trained nationwide, greatly improving the comprehensive clinical diagnosis and treatment ability of grassroots specialists and better serving patients.