THE LI LABORATORY

I grew up in Tianjin, China, and received B.S. in Life Sciences from Nankai University. My first name Wanhe 晚禾 is pounced “wanher” and means “a seeding in the evening.” Therefore, I use the pronoun “wanhe, wanher, and wanshe” - it is spelled “he,” pronounced “her,” but actually a “she.”

 

I earned my Ph.D. from the joint program of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Stony Brook University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. My thesis work dissected the genetic basis of olfactory learning and memory in Drosophila. My work with my advisor Dr. Joshua Dubnau advanced the novel hypothesis that the activation of transposable elements, or “the jumping genes,” contributes to age-related memory decline and TDP-43-mediated neurodegenerative disorders (recently covered by Simons Foundation).

 

I have long been interested in using genetic model organisms to understand animal behavior at the genetic, molecular, and neuronal circuitry levels. During my postdoctoral training with Nobel Laureate Dr. Michael W. Young at The Rockefeller University, I developed a framework to study the perception of social isolation and the molecular etiology of sleep loss in Drosophila melanogaster (covered by a beautifully written News & Views of Nature). I launched my laboratory at the Center for Biological Clock Research at Texas A&M University in January 2022. I was recruited by the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas and named the CPRIT scholar in Cancer Research. The long-term goal of my laboratory is to uncover mechanistic links between emotional states, biological timing, health critical behaviors, and the development of chronic diseases using interdisciplinary approaches.

 

At the Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, I teach Molecular Cellular Biology (BIOL213), Biology Honors Capstone: Research Communication in the Life Sciences (BIOL495), and Seminar in Circadian Clocks (BIOL681). I am also affiliated with the Biology, Genetics, and Neuroscience graduate programs. In addition, I am offering research mentorship in my laboratory to undergraduate students. I am dedicated to providing a supportive, nurturing, and intellectually stimulating environment and fostering the next generation of scientists using the 100-year-old Drosophila pioneer genetic model. 

 

In my spare time, I enjoy observing the emotional and physical development of my two sons. The sleepless days and nights of raising them are also my inspiration for studying sleep.