The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) is pleased to welcome Wei Li, PhD, who has been appointed Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology at UMSOM. Dr. Li is an expert in computational biology and CRISPR-mediated gene editing who comes to UMSOM from George Washington University.
Dr. Li’s appointment represents a unique collaboration between multiple UMSOM entities and is reflective of his qualifications. The UMSOM department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Maryland Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC), University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC), University of Maryland Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery (UM-MIND), and the University of Maryland Institute for Genome Sciences (UM-IGS) all contributed to the recruitment of Dr. Li.
Dr. Li’s research focuses on the use of machine learning and AI methods to model gene functions and combine with CRISPR-mediated genetic screens for validation and establishing the predicted outcomes for genetic variants. His publication in the high-impact journal, Genome Biology, on the topic of genome-scale CRISPR knockout screens has garnered more than 2,400 citations, demonstrating the wide recognition of his innovative research across the broader scientific community. Moreover, the software that Dr. Li developed in this publication has been downloaded more than 200,000 times to date, reinforcing the broad impact of his innovative research on the field of computational biology. His 43 peer-reviewed research articles have generated more than 11,000 citations on Google scholar, and he has two issued patents.
“Dr. Li has a truly exceptional track record of publications and grants for an investigator at this career stage,” said Stuart S. Martin, PhD, Interim Chair of Pharmacology and Physiology and Deputy Director of UMGCCC. “We are enthusiastic for his full participation in the University of Maryland School of Medicine in the areas of innovative cancer research, outstanding graduate and medical education, as well as strong service to the institution and community.”
“We are extremely excited to welcome Dr. Li to the IHC team,” said Bradley Maron, MD, Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program, Co-Director of the University of Maryland-Institute for Health Computing (UM-IHC), and Senior Associate Dean for Precision Medicine. “He brings true expertise that will elevate our program in bioinformatics, functional genomics, and drug modeling with a focus on cancer among other important pathophenotypes. He is a truly outstanding scientist, and we look forward to his building strong collaborations with other University of Maryland groups that advance multi-disciplinary and cutting-edge discoveries.”
“The unique collaboration in Dr. Li’s recruitment is reflective of his impressive qualifications and the cross-cutting nature of his research,” said Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, UMGCCC Executive Director, UMSOM Senior Associate Dean of Cancer Programs and University of Maryland Baltimore Associate Vice President of Cancer Programs. “We look forward to him bringing his expertise in computational biology and CRISPR gene editing to create new collaborative projects across UMGCCC research programs and providing a platform for the training of graduate and medical students in this exciting field.”
Dr. Li’s research has been published in high-impact journals, including Science, Cancer Cell, and Cancer Research. He has been the Principal Investigator for multiple studies and is currently a Co-Principal Investigator of a study funded by the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). He earned his PhD in Computer Science at the University of California, Riverside in 2012 and obtained his master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in computer science at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.