Department of Radiology

Overview

The Department of Radiology at Peking University People's Hospital (PKUPH) has become a modern, fully digital department over nearly a century. It provides comprehensive diagnostic imaging and interventional services, including X-ray, CT, MRI, PET, and interventional radiology.

Currently, the department comprises 110 staff members, including 40 physicians, 57 technologists, and 13 nurses. Each year, more than 486,000 imaging examinations and 1,200 interventional procedures are performed. The department ranks among the top radiology centers in China and is one of the busiest clinical departments in Beijing. All images—chest X-rays and other plain films—are acquired, interpreted, and archived digitally. The department has played, and continues to play, a leading role in advancing imaging technology.

Brief History

The department traces its roots to the 1940s, during World War II, when one of the earliest X-ray images in China was produced. Professor Xie Zhiguang served as the department’s early director and later became the founding president of the Chinese Society of Radiology.

Subspecialty Divisions

    1. Neuroradiology;

    2. Abdominal Radiology (including Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary, and Obstetric/Gynecologic Imaging);

    3. Thoracic Radiology (including Cardiac and Breast Imaging);

    4. Musculoskeletal Radiology;

    5. Interventional Radiology.

Education:Residency Training Center

Since 2007, the department has served as a Radiology Residency Training Center in Beijing. It admits 20 residents annually. The three-year training program covers basic radiology, plain films, CT, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear medicine, and interventional radiology.

Radiology Informatics

The Radiology Informatics program was launched in the early 1990s. It supports the daily operations of the department by ensuring that patient images and clinical data are accessible to physicians wherever and whenever needed. The department’s “Enterprise Imaging” platform integrates all imaging units—including nuclear medicine, ultrasound, pathology, and dental imaging—across both PKUPH campuses. In recent years, the department has also implemented Remote Diagnostic Radiology, providing expert support to radiology departments in distant medical institutions.

Academic Activities

Under the mentorship of senior physicians, the department conducts daily case discussions focused on complex diagnoses. Technical staff similarly engage in regular evaluations of image quality and imaging techniques under the guidance of experienced technologists, ensuring the delivery of high-quality and accurate diagnostic results to clinicians and patients.

The department also hosts the National Difficult Case Discussion Class in medical imaging.