Abstract:Exploratory Round Table Conference（ERTC） is a joint activity of the Chinese Academy of Sciences（CAS） and the Max Planck Society（MPG）. ERTC is meant to provide a platform for leading scientists from Germany, China and international keyplayers to exchange ideas and reflect on opportunities of emerging research topics at an early stage. The main objective of the project is to act as a seed towards establishing pioneering topical areas in the organizations of CAS and MPG, as part of a priority-setting process at the leading edge of science. Since 2010 ERTC has been held five times annually, covering the fields of Synthetic Biology（2010）, Quantum Information Science（2011）, Space-Based Research（2012）, Electrochemistry-revisited（2013） and Personalized Medicine（2014）. The decoding of the human genome sequence and the advent of next-generation sequencing methods and other molecular techniques such as in-depth proteomics and epigenetics has dramatically changed biomedical research. Personalized medicine ushers in a new era of modern medicine. The 5th ERTC, themed“Personalized Medicine” was held on 14—17 May 2014 in Shanghai. This paper reviews this conference, identifies key areas being of high priority: integrative re-assessment of large data sets, assessment of added value of epigenetic information, and strengthening translational medicine, and puts forward some specific measures to improve the study on personalized medicine in MPG and CAS. The 5th ERTC focused on questions of personalized medicine with the aim to identify key areas being of high priority. Five major themes were evaluated and discussed:（1） reassessment of genetic information for disease prediction;（2） stratification of health risk factors;（3） stable and unstable molecular memory;（4） erasing acquired health risks: treatment options; and （5） personalized cancer therapy. At the end of the conference, action recommendations are given to presidents of the two organizations. Some measures were suggested for the integrative analysis of large data sets, and actions were suggested to improve the added value of epigenetics in personalized medicine. In particular, the translational gap was extensively discussed throughout the 5th ERTC on Personalized Medicine and identified as a crucial target for further actions. Specific measures to strengthen translational medicine in MPG and CAS were identified during the conference. Notably, the proceedings of the conference emphasized the limited integration and interaction between clinicians and clinical as well as basic researchers. Such interactions were assumed to be essential for further progress in the field and were found mandatory for continuous adaptation of research problems to the most pressing clinical needs. In conclusion, closing the translational gap in medical research offers tremendous opportunities to facilitate development of novel therapeutic interventions. The measures described above would strengthen translational medicine in both MPG and CAS, orchestrate efforts across the two institutions, and facilitate the timely translation of research findings into personalized treatments.