Chinese to English Medical Translation

Case Studies

​Accuracy is essential in medical translation. The smallest error or omission could have serious consequences. My medical translation process involves a number of steps: Initial research into the latest medical advances — including a deep dive into the terminology of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), if needed. I draft the English translation, perform multiple editing passes comparing source Chinese to target English, checking language, terminology, numbers, consistency, and overall formatting, and then carry out final proofreading and careful spellcheck.
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To give you a sense of how my expertise meets the diverse needs of my clients, here are a few of my recent Chinese to English medical translation projects.

a cabinet with many drawers with Chinese writing

Case Studies

  • Biomarkers in cardiovascular disease

    I translated a Chinese study on CMTM5 gene expression as a biomarker for re-stenosis in coronary artery disease. The use of biomarkers in predicting coronary artery disease has increased over the last two decades and has significant potential in clinical assessment of cardiovascular disease risk. Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of death worldwide, and research on the predictive value of serological biomarkers is on the rise.

  • ​​Pesticidal agent technical summary

    Plants are extremely susceptible to fungal infection in the flowering stage. I translated a Chinese technical summary on a novel fungicide, researching affected crops (strawberry, apple, grape, potato), the role of calcium levels in plant tissues, opportunistic plant diseases, modes of infection, resistance to pathogenic fungi, and the fungicide’s mode of action and safety to plants and pollinators.

  • Chinese data on acupuncture therapy combined with carotid artery surgery

    A life sciences company requested translation of a clinical study on the use of Tongdu Tiaoshen (调督调神) acupuncture and carotid endarterectomy in the treatment of carotid artery stenosis. I researched TCM and pharmaceutical terms, surgical terminology for carotid endarterectomy, as well as acupuncture points and quotes from classical Chinese references.

  • Chinese Stroke Rehabilitation Treatment Guidelines​

    I translated the updated guidelines on stroke diagnosis and treatment from the Chinese Medical Association and the Stroke Screening and Prevention Project of the Chinese Ministry of Health, for drug formulation, marketing, and regulatory purposes.

  • Chromatographic fingerprinting in quality control of natural products

    As the manufacture of herbal medicines grows, information on the latest quality control techniques is critical. A pharmaceutical client requested translation of Chinese journal articles investigating the sensitivity of evaluation indicators in similarity system theory when comparing chromatographic fingerprints of Chinese herbal products, along with chapters from the Chinese Pharmacopoeia on determination of herbal extracts by chromatographic fingerprinting.

  • Treatment of type 2 diabetes with polysaccharides

    Polysaccharides may hold promise in novel therapies that reduce glucose levels by regulating glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and intestinal flora. For my translation of a Chinese article on a polysaccharides therapy isolated from the Chinese medicinal herb Ganoderma lucidum, I researched the latest developments in the study of intestinal microbiota, healthy bacteria, and the production of short-chain fatty acids.

  • COVID-19 pharmacovigilance

    Since the start of the pandemic, the demand for reports on the efficacy and safety of the antimalarial drug chloroquine has increased. Chinese medical journals have reported such serious adverse reactions as cardiotoxicity (even at low doses), neurotoxicity, and ophthalmological toxicity (irreversible macular disease and in some cases permanent blindness). Chloroquine has been used to treat SARS, MERS, and COVID-19, and it is important to monitor global evidence of its adverse drug reactions.

    I translated a 2021 clinical observation of Liushen (六神) pills (ingredients include Forsythiae fructus, Rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae, Flos lonicera, and other herbs) in the treatment of influenza. In China, COVID-19 is treated using integrated TCM and Western medicine, and herbal remedies are incorporated into treatment regimens based on historic success in fighting respiratory disorders.

  • Randomized study on the effects of acupoint stimulation on depression in late pregnancy

    Approximately one-fifth of women suffer from depression in pregnancy, and incidence rates are high in late pregnancy. Untreated depression may increase the risk of complications during pregnancy and in the perinatal period, and it is significantly correlated to postpartum depression. Depression treatment in pregnancy poses challenges in maternal health care. The advantages of electroacupuncture treatment of depressive disorders include multiple target sites, rapid onset, and fewer adverse reactions. Efficacy is equal to that of conventional antidepressant drugs. This was the premise of a recent Chinese randomized controlled study I translated on the effects of acupoint stimulation on depression and inflammatory cytokines. This treatment may offer a safer option in pregnancy at a time when many pharmaceutical medications are contraindicated.

Chinese Medical Journals

Following is a sample list of Chinese medical journals from which I have translated Chinese research articles and case reports to English:

药物不良反应杂志 (Adverse Drug Reactions Journal)

中华放射学杂志 (Chinese Journal of Radiology)

白血病·淋巴瘤 (Journal of Leukemia and Lymphoma)

肿瘤药学 (Anti-Tumor Pharmacy)

中华医学杂志 (National Medical Journal of China)

中国针灸 (Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion)

中华超声影像学杂志 (Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography)

中国血吸虫病防治杂志 (Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control)

中华儿科杂志 (Chinese Journal of Pediatrics)

国际眼科杂志 (International Eye Science)

中华围产医学杂志 (Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine)

中国脑血管病杂志 (Chinese Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases)

中国组织工程研究 (Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research)

中华地方病学杂志 (Chinese Journal of Endemiology)

中国临床药理学与治疗学 (Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics)

中华劳动卫生职业病杂志 (Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases)

医药导报 (Herald of Medicine)

中华内科杂志 (Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine)

中华传染病杂志 (Chinese Journal of Infectious Diseases)

中国寄生虫学与寄生虫病杂志 (Chinese Journal of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases)

中华肝脏病杂志 (Chinese Journal of Hepatology)