Beijing Women's Federation

He Yihua is Director of the Fetal Cardiac Maternal-Fetal Medicine Center and Director of the Cardiac Ultrasound Medical Center at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University. For more than 30 years, she has been dedicated to clinical practice and research in the prevention and control of birth defects related to cardiovascular diseases.

In 2013, she took the lead in proposing an integrated prenatal-postnatal management model for single-disease conditions and established China’s first maternal-fetal medicine center specializing in fetal cardiac diseases. Her work advanced the implementation of an integrated management system for congenital heart disease in Beijing, contributing to a 20% reduction in the incidence of severe, fatal congenital heart disease and a 40% decrease in unnecessary pregnancy terminations. She has pioneered the emerging discipline of maternal-fetal cardiology, with her achievements translated into national public health policies. She has also helped establish an integrated maternal-fetal prevention and treatment system for congenital heart disease, benefiting more than 100,000 families.

In scientific research, she has achieved a series of groundbreaking results. Through clinical studies aimed at improving prenatal diagnosis, the data standards she developed have been cited in the latest professional guidelines in the United States. She has conducted in-depth research on multi-omics and genetic mechanisms, laying the foundation for primary prevention, early noninvasive diagnosis, and the identification of intervention targets for fetal cardiac diseases. Her work has systematically clarified the impact of maternal diseases and environmental exposures on fetal cardiac health, and she has proposed quantitative strategies and identified effective intervention windows.

She has also led the development of artificial intelligence-based decision-support models for cardiovascular disease diagnosis, including both large-scale and lightweight models. By leveraging AI technologies, these tools enhance screening and clinical decision-making for cardiovascular diseases across all age groups—particularly in prenatal care—at the primary healthcare level, and have been widely implemented across 30 provincial-level regions in China.

Dr. He has led more than 20 major research projects, including those under the National Key Research and Development Program of China during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, international cooperation programs supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and key projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. As first or corresponding author, she has published more than 300 papers in leading academic journals. She has also led the development of one industry standard, one clinical guideline, and four expert consensus statements. In addition, she has supervised more than 80 master’s and doctoral students and trained over 400 visiting physicians from across the country.

Through her outstanding medical expertise and unwavering dedication, Dr. He exemplifies the compassion and professionalism of the medical community. Her work has made significant contributions to safeguarding maternal and child health and advancing the development of fertility-friendly cities.