GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (July 31, 2024) — Renowned structural biologist Hong Li, Ph.D., has joined Van Andel Institute, a move that further expands VAI’s research into the fundamental processes that govern health and disease.
As a professor in the Department of Structural Biology, Li will leverage VAI’s state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopes to investigate RNA, an important molecule that helps carry out the instructions found in our genetic code, among other vital tasks. Her leading-edge research has far-reaching implications for informing new diagnostic and treatment strategies for cancer and other disorders.
“I’m thrilled to join Van Andel Institute, which is renowned for bridging the gap between research and cures,” Li said. “Their exceptional resources and vibrant environment are a huge draw.”
Li is a leading expert in CRISPR-Cas, an RNA-powered system that prokaryotes use to fend off viral attacks. In recent years, CRISPR-Cas has been adapted into powerful gene-editing techniques employed by scientists around the world to study — and potentially intervene in — the nuanced molecular factors that cause disease. Li’s lab aims to develop next-generation gene-editing tools that leverage VAI’s expertise in epigenetics and cancer, both for research and clinical applications.
She also explores the role of ribosomes, molecular “machines” made of proteins and RNA that help sustain all life forms including humans. Ribosomes and their production are attractive targets for new anti-cancer therapies due to their fundamental roles in cellular processes, such as those that drive cancer development.
Related: Learn more about Dr. Li’s research ➔
Li earned her Ph.D. in biophysics from University of Rochester and completed postdoctoral fellowships at CalTech and Brookhaven National Lab before establishing her lab at Florida State University in 1999. From 2021 to 2024, she served as director of the Institute of Molecular Biophysics at Florida State.
Li is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and held the prestigious Pfeiffer Family Endowed Professorship for Cancer Research at Florida State. She currently is an associate editor for The CRISPR Journal.