Li Zhang

Li Zhang is Professor of Pharmacology & Physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, with a secondary appointment in Surgery. She serves as Associate Director of Research and Acting Director of the Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases (CVID), leading NIH-funded research on leukocyte biology and inflammatory diseases.

Dr. Zhang earned her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Notre Dame, completing postdoctoral training there. Prior to joining UMB, she held positions at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation's Lerner Research Institute and the American Red Cross's Holland Laboratory.

Her research focuses on integrin CD11b/CD18 (Mac-1) mechanisms in macrophage migration, inflammation resolution, and immune regulation. Key projects examine how Mac-1 coordinates with LRP1, tPA, and PAI-1 for leukocyte trafficking in fibrin-rich environments, and its role in suppressing Th17 differentiation to maintain immune tolerance. Her work spans cardiovascular diseases, autoimmunity, and stem cell biology using CRISPR, single-cell RNAseq, and murine models of atherosclerosis, stroke, and multiple sclerosis.

Recent publications reveal CD11b's dual roles: promoting macrophage migration via fibrin-VLDL receptor interactions while suppressing inflammatory pathways in obesity and arthritis. Her studies increasingly highlight tissue-specific macrophage functions—particularly resident vs. inflammatory subsets—in disease progression and resolution, with therapeutic implications for targeting Mac-1 in atherosclerosis and MS.

No specific scientific awards are documented, though her 2010 JCI paper was highlighted by Faculty of 1000 Biology. Continuous NIH funding since the 1990s underscores her research impact.

Dr. Zhang mentors postdoctoral fellows and leads multiple NIH R01 projects: R01NS082607 (2013-2019) on Mac-1/PDGF-CC in stroke; AHA 18TPA34170550 (2018-2021) on CD11b⁺ leukocytes in atherosclerosis; R01HL142909 (2019-2023) targeting Mac-1 for atherosclerosis; and R01NS110630 (2019-2024) on CD11b in multiple sclerosis. She serves on NIH study sections and as editorial board member for Current Drug Targets.

Her laboratory employs advanced techniques including live-cell imaging, CRISPR, and single-cell RNAseq to dissect macrophage heterogeneity in vascular and inflammatory diseases. Current projects investigate resident macrophage origins in atherosclerosis and microglial CD11b functions in blood-brain barrier integrity during stroke.