Yao-Wang Li

Yao-Wang Li is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at the School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, specializing in cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) methodology development and structural biology. He holds a PhD from Leiden University and completed postdoctoral training at Tsinghua University and Leiden University, where he pioneered high-resolution structural determination of Parkinson's-related amyloid fibers in China.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Structural Biology, Leiden University (2011-2017)
• Master of Science, China Agricultural University (2008-2011)
• Bachelor of Science, Jiangxi Agricultural University (2004-2008)

Dr. Li's research centers on advanced Cryo-EM techniques, with primary focus on electron diffraction, single particle analysis, and cryo-electron tomography (Cryo-ET) for resolving biological macromolecular structures. His work bridges structural biology and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms, particularly in visualizing α-synuclein fibrils implicated in Parkinson's disease. He emphasizes the principle that "seeing is believing" to investigate life mechanisms at near-atomic resolution.

Analysis of his publications (2011-2020) reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) structural determination of neurodegenerative disease-related amyloid fibrils using Cryo-EM, (2) methodological innovations in electron diffraction for protein nanocrystals, and (3) computational image processing advancements for 3D reconstruction. His work consistently targets high-impact structural biology questions with implications for disease mechanism understanding.

His scientific recognition includes:

• National Natural Science Funds of China (2018)
• China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Grant (2017)
• Advanced Innovation Fellow at Tsinghua University (2017)
• Multiple academic scholarships and thesis awards

Dr. Li has secured competitive research funding including national grants and institutional fellowships. His position involves mentoring graduate students in structural biology techniques, though specific advisees aren't listed. He was the first researcher in China to solve amyloid fiber structures in Parkinson's disease at near-atomic resolution, establishing critical cryo-EM capabilities for neurodegenerative disease research.

His laboratory at Southern University of Science and Technology focuses on developing integrated Cryo-EM approaches—including electron diffraction, single particle analysis, and cryo-ET—to resolve biological structures from subcellular to molecular levels, with particular emphasis on neurodegenerative disease mechanisms and therapeutic target identification.