Lei Lei

Dr. Lei Lei is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Her research focuses on ovarian reserve formation, maintenance, and associated diseases, with a particular emphasis on the role of Balbiani bodies in oocyte development and the cellular origins of ovarian cancer. She also investigates sleep-disordered breathing in pediatric populations, leveraging exosome biology, machine learning, and transcriptomic approaches to understand disease mechanisms and develop diagnostic tools.

Dr. Lei holds a PhD in Physiology (Reproductive Endocrinology) from Beijing’s College of Biological Sciences and a BS in Biology from China Agricultural University. Her awards include the MAVEN Senior Scientist (2020) and Beattie Awards in Stem Cell Biology (2017). Her work bridges reproductive biology and sleep medicine, with a focus on translational research.

Her sleep research explores exosome-driven pathophysiology in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), using cutting-edge techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and deep learning models for sleep staging. Key findings include exosome-mediated blood-brain barrier disruption in OSA and the role of intermittent hypoxia in metabolic dysfunction.

Dr. Lei’s publications span 2017–2025, with over 50 peer-reviewed articles. Notable contributions include developing explainable AI tools for OSA diagnosis and identifying exosome-based biomarkers for neurocognitive deficits. Her lab collaborates on projects involving pediatric sleep apnea, metabolic syndrome, and endothelial dysfunction.