POSITIONS

University of Toronto

Assistant Professor, 02/2022-present

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

Institute of Biomedical Engineering (cross-appointed)

Department of Chemistry (cross-appointed)

Faculty Member, PRiME - Precision Medicine initiative

Faculty Member, Emerging & Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC)

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre - UHN

Affiliate Scientist, 01/2023-present 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Postdoc, Chemical Engineering, MIT, Bob Langer & Daniel Anderson labs, 2019-2022

Ph.D., Bioengineering, University of Washington-Seattle, Shaoyi Jiang lab, 2019

SELECTED AWARDS AND HONORS

American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Emerging Leader Award, 2024

GSK Chair in Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, 2024

Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (CSPS) Early Career Award, 2024

ACS Rising Star in Biological, Medicinal, and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, 2024

Marsha Morton Early Career Investigator Award, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, 2024

Canada Research Chair in RNA Vaccines & Therapeutics (Tier 2), CIHR, 2022

Gairdner Early Career Investigator Award (selected by Drew Weissman, Katalin Karikó, Pieter Cullis), 2022

Emerging Investigator Award, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2022

J. P. Bickell Foundation Medical Research Award, 2022

Emerging Voice in Drug Delivery, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2022

Connaught New Researcher Award, 2022

New Initiative and Innovation Award, University of Toronto, 2022

Forbes 30 Under 30, Finalist (global top-100 shortlist), 2021  

BMES Career Development Award, 2021                                                     

Baxter Young Investigator Award, 2019                                                 

College of Engineering Student Award for Outstanding Research, 2019

Bioengineering Departmental Award for Excellence in Research and Translation, 2019

Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Students Abroad, 2018  

RSC Soft Matter Award, 2017                                                                                

Graduate School Fund for Excellence and Innovation, 2017

Inaugural University President's Award, 2013  

National Merit Scholarship, 2010-13 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Grant review

Banting Research Foundation Discovery Award Review Panel 

CIHR Project Grant, Biomedical Engineering Committee                          

CIHR Team Grant: Lung Health Review Committee (ac hoc)                            

NIH Nucleic Acid Therapeutic Delivery Study Section                                  

Singapore A*STAR Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative (NATi)                           

European Research Area Network (ERA-NET) on Translational Cancer Research                       

Austrian Science Fund                                                                                                                

AFM-Téléthon Funding                                                                                         

DNA to RNA (D2R) Funding                                                                                  

Blood Cancer UK                                                                                   

Dutch Research Council - Open Competition Domain Science                            

Data Science Institute Catalyst Grant                                                                                 

JP Bickell Foundation Medical Research Grant                                                             

LifeArc Philanthropic Fund 

Journal Review

Nature Biotechnology, Nature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Nature Chemistry, Nature Communications, Science Advances,  Advanced Materials, Matter, Advanced Functional Materials, Angewandte Chemie, ACS Nano, Biomaterials, Bioactive Materials, Molecular Therapy – Nucleic Acids, Biomacromolecules, Journal of Controlled Release, Molecular Pharmaceutics, Langmuir, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, Acta Biomaterialia, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, Drug Delivery and Translational Research, Journal of Gene Medicine, Scientific Report, Journal of Pharmaceutical Science, Process Biochemistry, Plos One, BioMed Research International, Materials Science & Engineering C, International Journal of Polymer Science                                                                                                           

Rick earned his doctoral degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Toronto, supervised by Dr. Milica Radisic. During his doctoral studies, he specialized in replicating heart attacks using heart-on-a-chip models, investigating factors like air pollution and SARS-CoV-2. Moving forward in his postdoctoral research, Rick will focus on building data-driven computational models and gaining insights into the molecular mechanisms that enhance the effectiveness of mRNA therapeutics. In his free time, Rick enjoys photography, exploring new beer and coffee, and expanding his collection of cutting-edge tech gadgets. 

Amy earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of British Columbia. Working in the lab of Dr. Christian Kastrup, Amy studied the biochemical mechanisms of blood coagulation, particularly in the context of hereditary disorders. She developed novel nanomedicine-based approaches for correcting coagulation disorders, using RNA and lipid nanoparticle technologies. As a Schmidt Science Fellow in the Li lab, Amy will further explore the potential of advanced nanomedicine platforms to enable gene editing in a wide range of model systems.

Yue Xu received his Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering at China Pharmaceutical University. His research interests focus on Medicinal Chemistry and Biomedical Imaging. He has published first-author papers in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Journal of Advanced Research, Small, and ACS Sensors. In the Li lab, Yue is working on the de novo design of LNPs for RNA delivery.  

Songtao obtained his PhD in pharmaceutics from the Shenyang Pharmaceutical University (China). His Ph.D. research is focused on advancing nanotechnology to improve the efficiency and safety of cancer therapy. Self-assembled nano-prodrugs, liposomes, and hydrogels are the main technical platforms he studied during his doctoral period. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Li Lab, Songtao will explore the synthesis of new ionizable lipids and investigate novel LNPs for gene therapy.

I am interested in engineering novel RNA molecular therapies using synthetic biology. I completed my BSc in biological sciences at the University of Alberta and my MSc in molecular genetics at the University of Toronto. My diverse research experiences include DNA poxvirus genetics, neuropsychology data acquisition, high-throughput DNA multiplexing technologies, and microfluidic device design and fabrication. In my free time, I enjoy cooking for my family, improving my fitness level, playing video games, and exploring the great outdoors. 

I'm very passionate about research and enjoy learning new things, especially in the field of novel therapeutic solutions. I earned my HBSc at the University of Toronto with a specialization in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a minor in Immunology. My research experience includes studying the role of the immune system in mediating idiosyncratic drug reactions in the Uetrecht Lab and working on the development of electrochemical biosensors in the Kelley Lab. In my free time, I'm a tech enthusiast and hobby artist who loves to play video games, watch documentaries, and read a good book.

I recently earned my BASc in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo, where I developed an interest in pursuing further research in nanomedicine. My undergraduate research experiences focused on developing plasmonic nanoparticles for biomedical applications and optimizing new methods of measuring the surface energy of micro- and nanoparticles. I also gained industry experience at Precision Nanosystems working on customized GMP systems for manufacturing RNA therapeutics and optimizing lipid nanoparticle formulations for mRNA vaccines. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, drawing, spending time at my cottage, and learning how to bake new desserts.

Alex is passionate about the targeted delivery of drugs using nanomedicine. He understands that when one’s health falters, it can be extremely debilitating and all-consuming. Thus, he hopes to pave the way for more effective disease treatments with his research. Alex recently graduated with a BASc in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo, primarily working on synthesizing and testing new polymer formulations for thermoplastic applications during his co-ops. He was also a nuclear engineering consultant at NPX. In his free time, Alex loves going to the gym, hiking, watching sports, and listening to psychology podcasts. 

I am interested in designing novel LNPs for delivering gene editing tools and gene therapy. I earned my master’s degree in Pharmaceutics from China Pharmaceutical University.  My research experience is designing novel liposomes for small molecular delivery. Before joining the Li lab, I published two first-author papers in the Journal of Controlled Release and Nano Letters. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, cooking, and workout.

I am dedicated to developing technologies that enable us to overcome the obstacles that impede human health and well-being. My expertise primarily encompasses nucleic acids and lipid nanoparticles, and I am investigating their potential for pharmaceutical applications. In my approach to research, I maintain an open mind and conduct science with integrity, pursuing knowledge that can fulfill an unmet need. For leisure, I enjoy hiking, reading, writing, and – of course – learning new things.

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Pharmaceutics from China Pharmaceutical University. I am interested in the application of Gene Therapy in different disease models. My previous research focused on the efficacy of 'living cell' drugs and nano-formulations in autoimmune diseases. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, taking photos, and swimming.