Dr. Li is a faculty investigator in the Advanced Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (ARDL) where she applies mass spectrometry (MS) to the discovery of biomarkers for diagnosis including for Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, heart disease, and cancers. She was trained in analytical chemistry and in proteomics research using MS technology, particularly in identifying proteomic biomarkers that are clinically relevant and have an impact on patient care. Biomarker discovery is a key area of translational research. Besides identifying biomarkers that may be important in clinical medicine, Dr. Li is addressing several challenges posed by MS technology. One is to develop standard protocols to ensure the reproducibility of biomarkers. Another is to design each study in a way that takes into account the complexity and heterogeneity of biological samples and eliminates potentially confounding factors. A third challenge is data analysis of hundreds or even thousands of biomarkers that are expressed at different levels and identifying those that are clinically significant. Collaboration with trusted experts in engineering, bioinformatics, and biostatistics is necessary for study design and data analysis and interpretation. Li believes biomarker research, increasingly a team effort, can lead to advances in precision medicine and better clinical outcomes for patients.
