The center aims to formulate scientific, innovative, and authoritative Chinese and Western medicine theories and conduct application research and the development of new traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), so as to expedite the hospital/school’s goal of becoming a world leader in TCM research.

Founded in August 2010, the center focuses on the research and development of optimum composition of TCM (herbal medicine) effective components, and the development of new TCM (herbal medicine), adjuvant therapy, and health foods. The medical research department’s Natural Medicine Research Center was set up in October 2010, combining natural products chemistry, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, molecular biological message transmission, and other interdisciplinary expertise, and dedicated to developing domestic natural medicine research and new drug research and development. In line with the hospital’s policy of reviewing and merging existing research centers, and integrating  resources from the Natural Medicine Research Center and the Research and Development Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Natural Medicine Research Center was in 2014 incorporated into the Research and Development Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, in an effort to accelerate the development of the hospital's TCM R&D platform and make China Medical University, Taiwan become a world leader in TCM research.

In the post-genetic era, the introduction of advanced, cutting-edge technologies presents a golden opportunity to accelerate the development of TCM. Both academia and industry in all countries across the world are rushing to commit large amounts of money to basic research and new drug development, hoping to take the lead in the field. Facing such a global impact and competition, the hospital and school set up the Research and Development Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, in order to ensure the scientific research superiority and maintain the international leading position in the field of TCM.