Welcome to the Li Lab

The main focus of the Li lab is to elucidate the molecular and epigenetic basis of cancer with the ultimate goal of developing protein- and peptide-based diagnostic or therapeutic agents for cancer.

We employ an integral approach that combines molecular, cellular, structural, and proteomic information to achieve a deep and comprehensive understanding of how proteins interact with one another to transduce regulatory signals and how aberrant changes in cell signaling lead to complex human diseases such as cancer. One of the major focuses of our research is to understand the role of post-translational modifications (PTM), including Tyr, Ser or Thr phosphorylation and Lys or Arg methylation, in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, apoptosis and the DNA damage response. Because dysregulation of protein phosphorylation and methylation is intimately associated with tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis, we are developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies by targeting these PTMs or their modifying enzymes.

Learn more