Our research
Understand mechanisms of neurological diseases.
RNA/DNA epigenetics
The Li lab uses healthy and patient induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) -differentiated neuronal cells to understand how RNA/DNA epigenetics affects gene regulation during normal development and in neurological diseases.
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TRANSPOSON RNA
RNAs derived from transposable elements are dysregulated in various neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson's disease, as well as neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism spectrum disorders. The Li lab aims to understand what causes transposon RNA dysregulation in different disease contexts and the pathological consequences of this dysregulation.
Develop therapeutic tools targeting dysregulated RNA
The Li Lab employs a diverse array of cutting-edge tools to address dysregulated RNAs in neurological disease models. Our toolkits includes antisense oligos (ASOs), a first generation RNA therapeutic tool that has shown clinical success in treating some neurodegenerative diseases. We also utilize the recent generations of RNA-targeting technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas13 and humanized CRIPSR/Cas-inspired RNA targeting system. We also perform large-scale small-molecule drug screening for targeted diseases.