Yize Li

Yize Li is an Assistant Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU), affiliated with the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center. His research focuses on antiviral innate immunity, particularly the pathogenesis of Middle East respiratory coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and mechanisms of endogenous double-stranded RNA-induced CNS damage in ADAR1-deficient contexts, supported by NIH funding. He earned a Ph.D. from the Institute Pasteur of Shanghai (2005–2012) and completed postdoctoral training (2013–2020) at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine under Prof. Susan Weiss.

• Education: Ph.D., Institute Pasteur of Shanghai (2005–2012).
• Work History: Postdoctoral Researcher and Research Associate, UPenn Department of Microbiology (2013–2020).

Research interests include viral immune evasion strategies, RNA biology, and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms linked to viral infections. Recent studies explore SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, vaccine development, and antiviral therapies. Over 15 peer-reviewed articles since 2019 highlight work on coronaviruses, Zika virus, and host immune responses.

Awards: NIH/NIAID R21 Grant (1R21AI138564-01, 2018–2020).

Teaching & Advising: Teaches undergraduate research and Cell Biology courses. Advises students in virology and immunology research projects. Actively contributes to lab-based training in the Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center.

Labs/Teams: Part of the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center, focusing on translational virology and host-pathogen interactions.