Danni Li, PhD

Li Laboratory Website

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.

Selected Publications

• Li D, Rooney MR, Burmeister LA, Basta NE, Lutsey PL. Trends in daily use of biotin supplements among US adults, 1999-2016. JAMA. 2020;324(6):605–607. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.8144
• Li D, Misialek JR, Jack CR, Mielke MM, Knopman D, Gottesman R, Mosley T, Alonso A. Plasma Metabolites Associated with Brain MRI Measures of Neurodegeneration in Older Adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities–Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS). Int J Mol Sci 2019;20(7):1744.
• Li D, Hagen C, Fett AR, Bui HH, Knopman D, Vemuri P, Machulda MM, Jack Jr CR, Petersen RC, Mielke MM. Longitudinal association between phosphatidylcholines, neuroimaging measures of Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology, and cognition in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Neurobiol Aging 2019;79:43-9.
• Danni Li, Fangying Huang, Yingchun Zhao, Peter W. Villata, Timothy J. Griffin, Lin Zhang, Ling Li and Fang Yu^. Plasma lipoproteome in Alzheimer’s disease: a proof-of-concept study. Clinical Proteomics2018; 15:31 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12014-018-9207-z
• Danni Li, PhD,  Angela Radulescu, MD, Rupendra T. Shrestha, MD, et al. Association of Biotin Ingestion With Performance of Hormone and Nonhormone Assays in Healthy Adults.  JAMA. 2017;318(12):1150-1160. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.13705
• Li D, R Thomas, MY Tsai, L Li, DM Vock, S Greimel, F Yu. Vascular biomarkers to predict response to exercise in Alzheimer's disease: the study protocol.  BMJ Open, 2016: 6 (12). http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011054.
• Li D, Misialek J, Boerwinkle E, Gottesman RF, Sharrett AR, Mosley TH, Coresh J, Wruck LM, Knopman DK, Alonso A. Plasma phospholipids and prevalence of mild cognitive impairment and/or dementia in the ARIC Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS). Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. 2016. doi:10.1016/j.dadm.2016.02.008. http://goo.gl/OXL8sP
• Cao J, Seegmiller J, Hanson NQ, Zaun C, and Li D: A Microfluidic Multiplex Proteomic Immunoassay Device for Translational Research. Clinical Proteomics, 2015: 12:28
• Li, D, Chan DW: Proteomic cancer biomarkers from discovery to approval: it’s worth the effort. Expert Review of Proteomics, 2014 Apr; 11(2) 135-136.
• Li, D, Chui, H, Zhang H and Chan DW: Analysis of serum protein glycosylation by a differential lectin immunosorbant assay (dLISA) Clinical Proteomics, 2013 Sept; 10(1): 12.
• Li D, Chiu H, Chen J, Zhang H, and Chan DW: Integrated Analyses of Proteins and Their Glycans in a Magnetic Beads Based Multiplex Assay Format. Clin Chem, 2013 Jan; 59 (1) 315-324.
• Li D, Chiu H, Gupta V, Chan DW, Validation of a multiplex immunoassay for serum angiogenic factors as biomarkers for aggressive prostate cancer. Clin Chim Acta, 2012 Oct 9; 413(19-20), 1506-1511.

Review Articles

• Meany DL, Sokoll LJ, and Chan DW: Early Detection of Cancer: Immunoassays for Plasma Tumor Markers. Expert Opinion on Medical Diagnostics, 2009, 3(6): 597-605
• Meany DLand Chan DW: Aberrant glycosylation associated with enzymes as cancer biomarkers. Clinical Proteomics, 2011, 8(1), 7-20

Editorials

• Meany DL, and Chan DW: Comparability of tumor marker immunoassays: still an important issue for clinical diagnostics? Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, 2008,46(5): 575-576

Case Reports

• Meany DLand Clarke W: A case study of methanol: should laboratories also test formate? Therapeutics and Toxins News, Fall 2007: 4-5
• Meany DL, Jan de Beur SM, Bill MJ, and Sokoll LJ: A case of renal osteodystrophy with unexpected serum intact parathyroid hormone concentrations. Clinical Chemistry, 2009,55(9):1737-1739

Book Chapters

• Devaraj S,Meany DL, Sokoll LJ, and Jialal I: Laboratory assessment of metabolic syndrome and obesity. In: Winter WE, Sokoll LJ, and Jialal I, eds. Handbook of diagnostic endocrinology, 2nd ed. Washington D.C.: AACC Press, 2008.
• Meany DLand Clarke W: Gentamicin and other aminoglycosides. In: Kaplan LA and Pesce AJ, eds. Clinical Chemistry: Theory, Analysis & Correlation, 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby. 2009
• Meany DLand Clarke W: Lithium. In: Kaplan LA and Pesce AJ, eds. Clinical Chemistry: Theory, Analysis & Correlation, 5th ed. St. Louis, MO: Mosby. 2009