Yi-Ping Li

Dr. Yi-Ping Li serves as Dean's Endowed Chair Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine, where he directs both the Division in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Center for Immunity and Musculoskeletal Diseases. Previously, he held the Jay M McDonald Endowed Professor position at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and had appointments at The Forsyth Institute affiliated with Harvard University.

Dr. Li's research spans bone biology, musculoskeletal diseases, immune disorders, skeletal development, and cancer bone metastasis. His lab pioneered molecular approaches to osteoclast biology, discovering and characterizing key genes including Cathepsin K, ATP6i, RGS10A, C/EBPα and Gα13. His work has resulted in 6 patents and numerous seminal publications in top journals including Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, and PNAS.

His recent publications (2017-2021) demonstrate continued leadership in the field, with research focusing on transcription factors regulating bone formation (RUNX1, Cbfβ), osteoclast signaling pathways, and the intersection of bone biology with immunology and cancer. His work reveals how fundamental discoveries in osteoclast biology translate to therapeutic approaches for inflammatory diseases, periodontitis, and cancer metastasis.

Scientific Awards:

• 2025 Citation Award from Tulane University for highest-cited paper in the previous year

Dr. Li maintains active NIH funding through multiple R01 grants totaling over 27 years of continuous NIH support. His laboratory employs animal models to study human disease pathogenesis and develops translational approaches including gene therapy and novel anti-cancer compounds. He collaborates extensively with Dr. Wei Chen and has secondary appointments that facilitate interdisciplinary research.

His laboratory, the Center for Immunity and Musculoskeletal Diseases, focuses on 12 major research areas including cancer bone metastasis, vascular disrupting agents, rheumatoid arthritis mechanisms, stem cell reprogramming, craniofacial development, periodontitis in aging, and osteoclast biology. This comprehensive approach positions his work at the forefront of bone-immune-cancer interactions.