Professor Li‘s research attempts to understand the molecular basis of the regenerative mechanisms that maintain the proper form and function of the human body. His research programs build on a multidisciplinary platform that integrates stem cell models with genome engineering, functional genomics, bioengineering and chemical screening to gain a holistic understanding of regeneration in its broadest sense while keeping a commitment to fulfilling the translational promise of stem cell research.

The Li lab has three main research directions:

1. Development of Technologies for Cell Based Therapeutics
   • Generating functional blood cell types from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)
     • Differentiation of bona fide hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from hiPSCs
     • In vitro production of red blood cells (RBCs) from hiPSCs
2. Uncovering Pathogenic Mechanisms of Genetic Diseases
   • Safe and efficient derivation of patient induced pluripotent stem cells from patients of genetic diseases
   • Determine pathogenic mechanisms of inherited blood disorders with isogenic iPSC model
3. Developing novel genome editing technologies for treatment of genetic diseases
   • Developing efficient genome editing vectors for correction of genetic diseases such as sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia.

For more details, pelase refer to our laboratory’s main webs site:  KAUST Website