The Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children was officially established by the Ministry of Education, China in June 2012. Prof. Hefeng Huang from Shanghai Jiao Tong University is served as the director of the Academic Committee of the laboratory, together with Prof. Dezhi Mu from West China Second University Hospital as the director of the laboratory, and Prof. Bin Zhou as the secretary.

In order to reveal the precise regulation of host genetics and environments on the organ development as well as the repair and regeneration of damaged organ, the laboratory has established the fundamental and clinical research system focused on prevention and control of birth defects related diseases of women and children, forming four closely related directions, i.e., translational medicine and accurate treatments, important organ development and related diseases, birth defects and interventions, and immune system and related diseases. The “Digital Platform of Health and Disease Genetic Resources”, “Translational Medicine Research Center”, “Laboratory Animal Center”, and “Biobank” have been set up. Additionally, two disciplines: “stress biology” and “mother-infant medicine” have been firstly created in China to optimize and broaden the scope of laboratory's main subjects -- pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology, which significantly improves the national impact of the laboratory.