Wan-ju Li

Wan-ju Li is an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, affiliated with the Biomedical Engineering school and the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation. Their research focuses on stem cell-based approaches for regenerating skeletal tissues, particularly cartilage and bone, addressing challenges related to cellular senescence and controlled chondrogenic differentiation.

Using integration-free episomal reprogramming, their group generates induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to rejuvenate mesenchymal stem cells and enhance their properties for skeletal regeneration. They have demonstrated systemic induction of iPSCs into functional chondrocytes for hyaline cartilage formation.

• Primary Affiliation: Biomedical Engineering
• Additional Affiliations: Materials Science and Engineering, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation