Wen-Hong Li

Ph.D., University of California San Diego (1996)
Assistant Professor, Cell Biology and Biochemistry
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas

Research (Wen-Hong Laboratory)
Dr. Li is an assistant professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. His research focuses on developing new methods to delineate temporal and spatial dynamics of cellular signaling while addressing their biological functions under physiological settings. Dr. Li's group has developed a sensitive imaging assay for studying dynamic cell coupling using a new class of photoactivatable fluorophores. The non-invasive technique can be applied to fully intact cell populations. In addition, these caged fluorescent labels can be activated by two photon excitations using infra light, thus offering the exciting possibility of monitoring gap junction coupling in physiological preparations such as pancreatic islets. Dr. Li has received the Southwestern Medical Foundation Scholar in Medical Research Award (2000), the Career Development Award from the American Diabetes Association (2001), and the Junior Investigator Award from the American Cancer Society (2002).

Education and experience
Dr. Li completed his undergraduate work in polymer chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China in 1991, and received his doctorate degree in Biochemistry from the University of California San Diego in 1996. In 2000, he completed his postdoctoral training at the Biological Imaging Center of the Beckman Institute at the California Institute of Technology.