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Qi-Jing LI
SUMMARY
Dr. Qi-Jing LI's research focuses on translational T cell biology and therapeutics. He received his Ph.D. in wound healing from UC Riverside, where he studied signal transduction and transcriptional regulation of chemokine and chemokine receptor genes under Dr. Manuela Martins-Green. As a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University, he trained with Dr. Mark Davis and initiated his scientific career as a T cell biologist. He later became a Whitehead Family Foundation Scholar at Duke University School of Medicine, where he established his research program in tumor immunology and immunotherapies. He has co-founded three clinical stage companies to develop CAR-T, TCR-T, and TIL platforms.
Dr. Li's research interests center on understanding the complex interactions between T cells and the tumor microenvironment, with a focus on developing innovative immunotherapies for cancer treatment. He is particularly interested in exploring the mechanisms of T cell activation, expansion, and persistence in the tumor microenvironment, and designing strategies to enhance T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. His laboratory uses a combination of immunological, biochemical, and bioinformatics approaches to investigate the roles of key transcription factors, signaling pathways, and immune checkpoints in regulating T cell responses, with the ultimate goal of translating these findings into effective cancer therapies.
- NRF Investigatorship 2024
- NRF Competitive Research Programme 2023
- HHP Industry Alignment Funds Pre-Positioning (IAF-PP)
RESEARCH
Translational T Cell Biology and Therapeutics
Dr. Qi-Jing LI's research focuses on translational T cell biology and therapeutics, with an emphasis on understanding how tumors evade immune surveillance and developing innovative strategies to enhance T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. He investigates how tumors inhibit T and NK cell function both locally and systemically and explores the complex pathways of T cell differentiation and memory development in the tumor microenvironment. By dissecting the signaling pathways, transcriptional regulation, and epigenetic programs governing T and NK cell function, Dr. Li aims to develop clinically feasible strategies to counteract tumor-biased systemic immune suppression and enhance the efficacy of CAR-T, TCR-T, and NK cell therapies for solid tumor treatments through genomic engineering and combination therapies.
PUBLICATIONS
- Breaking NGF-TrkA immunosuppression in melanoma sensitizes immunotherapy for durable memory T cell protection
Yin T. #, Wang G. #, Wang L., Mudgal P., Wang E., Pan C.C., Alexander P.B., Wu H., Cao C., Liang Y., Tan L., Huang D., Chong M., Chen R., Lim B.J.W., Xiang K., Xue W., Wan L., Hu H., Loh Y.H., Wang X.F., Li Q.-J.*, (2024)
Nature Immunology (*: Corresponding authors; PMID: 38195702) - Cancer cell-Derived GABA Promotes β-Catenin-Mediated Tumor Growth and Immunosuppression
Huang D., Wang Y., Thompson J.W., Yin T., Alexander P.B., Qin D., Mudgal P., Wu H., Liang Y., Tan L., Pan C., Yuan L., Wan Y., Li Q.-J., * and Wang X.F. (2022)
Nature Cell Biology 24(2):230-241. (*: Corresponding authors, PMCID: PMC8852304) - Tumor-Induced Erythroid Precursor Differentiated Myeloid Cells Mediate Immunosuppression and Curtail Anti-PD-1/PDL1 Treatment Efficacy
Long, H. #, Wang, L. #, Jia Q. #, Wang, Z., Huang, J., Zhou, L., Hu, C., Jia, Q., Wang, X., Zeng, X., Zeng, D., Su, X., Alexander, P.B., Wang, L., Wang, LM, Wang, X.-F., Wan, Y., Li, Q.-J.*, and Zhu, B.*. (2022)
Cancer Cell 40(6):674-693.e7. (Cover story, *: Corresponding authors; PMID: 35594863) - CD98-induced CD147 signaling stabilizes the Foxp3 protein to maintain tissue homeostasis
Geng J, Chen R, Yang FF, Lin P, Zhu YM, Fu X, Wang K, Feng Z, Wu J, Zhang H, Li Q.-J. *, Chen Z.-N.*, Zhu P*. (2021)
Cell Mol Immunol. 18(12):2618-2631.(*: Corresponding authors, PMID: 34759371) - TCR repertoire characteristics predict clinical response to adoptive CTL therapy against nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Wang, G., Mudgal, P., Wang, L., Shuen, T.W.H., Wu, H., Alexander, P.B., Wang, W.W., Wan, Y., Toh, H.C.*, Wang, X.-F.*, and Li Q.-J.* (2021)
Oncoimmunology. 10(1):1955545. (*: Corresponding authors, PMCID: PMC8331028) - Resident Memory T Cells in Tumor-Distant Tissues Fortify Against Metastasis Formation
Christian, L.S., Wang, L., Wu, H., Deng, D., Lim, B., Wang, X.-F. and Li Q.-J., (2021)
Cell Reports 35(6)109118 (PMCID: PMC8204287)
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