Liu Shih-Hao: pioneer of translational medicine in China.

Translational medicine is a new discipline which aims to eliminate the barrier between preclinical and clinical medicine. Here, Dr. Li discusses the application of translational medicine in the research, teaching and clinical work of Prof. Liu Shih-Hao, the founder of endocrinology in China, who was particularly renowned for his early work in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. This well-known success story can be traced back to an early appreciation of translational medicine by Prof. Liu Shih-Hao, and serves as an important and revelatory lesson for us all.