Dongmei Li

Dongmei Li, Ph.D., is a Professor in three departments at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry: Clinical and Translational Research, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Public Health Sciences. She directs the Biomedical Data Science Certificate Program and leads the Biostatistics and Informatics Core for the FDA/NCI-funded WNY Center for Research on Flavored Tobacco Products (CRoFT). Her research focuses on statistical methods for genomic data analysis, public health implications of tobacco products, and leveraging social media for health surveillance.

Dr. Li holds a PhD in Biostatistics from The Ohio State University (2009) and has collaborated on numerous national grants, including a 10M CMS grant on diabetes studies. Her work spans multidisciplinary teams across medicine, nursing, biomedical engineering, and public health.

Her research interests include epigenetic biomarkers in respiratory diseases, vaping-related health outcomes, and social media analytics for public health. Notable projects include developing methods to identify e-cigarette brands, analyzing FDA flavor policies' impact, and mapping senescent cells in aging studies.

Dr. Li has authored over 160 peer-reviewed articles, focusing on topics like exosomal miRNA profiles in e-cigarette users, social media perceptions of vaping policies, and antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in vulnerable populations. She mentors a dynamic team of students and researchers, with recent awards including the 2023 Schwartz Discover Grant.

Her lab conducts translational research in four key areas: exosomal biomarkers, national survey data analysis, social media health surveillance, and AI-driven health communication strategies.