Team

Team

Meet Dr. Jianping Li

Principal Investigator

Jianping Li, M.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology
Thomas Jefferson University
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

Dr. Li received his M.D. from Peking Union Medical College (Institute of Hematology). He has more than ten years of experience as a hematologist and then switched his career to translational research in blood cancers. After completing his postdoctoral training at the University of Miami about myeloid malignancies and at the University of Florida about lymphoid malignancies, Dr. Li joined the NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health in November 2023. His research focuses on the roles of chromatin regulators in normal and malignant hematopoiesis, blood cancer relapse, and therapy resistance. Findings from his work include: 1) demonstration of the role of ASXL2 and ASXL1 in normal hematopoiesis and myeloid malignancies using mouse models; 2) elucidation of the aberrant epigenetic landscape underlying the mechanism of relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma driven by NSD2 mutation using CRISPR/Cas9-edited cell lines, PDX and a novel conditional mouse model; and 3) utilizing the insight of epigenetic mechanisms and developing novel targeting therapies to overcome glucocorticoid resistance driven by NSD2 mutation. The strategy has been presented to the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) as a potential clinical trial.

Research Experience

2023 -> Assistant Professor, Thomas Jefferson University
2022 -> Research Assistant Professor, University of Florida
2020 -> Assistant Scientist, University of Florida
2017 -> Postdoctoral associate, University of Florida
2015 -> Postdoctoral associate, University of Miami

Honors and Awards

2024 -> Charles W. Hevner Memorial Fund Award
2020 -> Young Investigator of Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research
2019 -> Special Fellow Award of Leukemic & Lymphoma Society (LLS)
2019 -> 61th ASH Abstract Achievement Award
2019 -> Postdoctoral and Clinical Research Fellow of Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research and Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation
2018 -> 60th ASH Abstract Achievement Award
2018 -> Poster Presentation Winner Award, University of Florida
2017 -> Outstanding Poster Award, University of Miami
2016 -> 58th ASH Abstract Achievement Award

Our Team

Meet Our Scientist

Meet the dedicated researchers and scientists who make up the Jianping Li Lab team. Our diverse team brings together expertise in cancer biology, epigenetics, bioinformatics, and more, united by a common goal of advancing cancer research.

Zongxiu (Lisa) Zhang

Research Technician

Lisa has been working as a research technician at TJU for more than ten years and has expertise in lab and animal management and molecular and cellular experiments.

[email protected]

Tian Yuan

Postdoctoral Fellow

Tian received her MD at Central South University and her PhD at the Peking Union Medical College in hematology. She then had 2-year postdoctoral training at MD Anderson Cancer Center and became very skillful in molecular and cellular biology experiments.

[email protected]

Joseph (Todd) Fredericks

Undergraduate Student

Todd joined us through a biomedical training program at The Wistar Institute.  He is currently in the Jefferson College of Health Professionals at TJU, where he is earning his BS and MS in biotechnology.

[email protected]

Desirae Price

Administrative Assistant

Desirae is an administrative assistant in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology.

[email protected]

Seung Hyen Eun

Postbaccalaureate

Seung received his bachelor’s degree in Operations Research and Information Engineering at Cornell University. He is a Postbaccalaureate Pre-Professional Program (P4) student at Jefferson College of Life Sciences. He analyzes the multi-omics sequencing data created in our lab.

[email protected]

Venkata (Siva) Dasuri

MD Student

Siva is part of the Academic Program- Combined BS/MD 7-year program. He received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University and joined Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College in July 2024. Siva had also completed a one-year research internship at Boston Children’s Hospital.

[email protected]

Brianna Gipson

MD Student

Brianna received her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences (High Honors) at Lehigh University in 2021. She then had 3 years of research experience at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Brianna joined Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College in July 2024.

[email protected]

Zongxiu (Lisa) Zhang

Research Technician

Tian Yuan

Postdoctoral Fellow

Desirae Price

Administrative Assistant

Get in Touch With Us

Get in touch with the Jianping Li Lab to learn more about our research, collaborations, and opportunities to get involved.