Yueming Li

Yueming Li serves as Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine's Graduate School of Medical Sciences with dual appointments in the Departments of Pharmacology and Neuroscience. His research centers on elucidating molecular mechanisms of intramembranous proteases, particularly γ-secretase, and their critical roles in physiological and pathological processes including neurodegeneration and cancer development.

The Li Laboratory investigates γ-secretase-dependent Notch signaling and amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing within transmembrane domains—a hydrophobic environment where conventional enzymatic hydrolysis presents unique biochemical challenges. Current research integrates chemical biology approaches to target these proteases (including rhomboids and signal peptide peptidase) for therapeutic development, with specific emphasis on Alzheimer's disease pathways, sterol regulation, and oncogenic signaling. The lab's work bridges fundamental enzymology with translational applications in neurodegenerative disorders and cancer pharmacology.

Research efforts focus on unraveling how intramembranous proteolysis drives biological processes ranging from cellular development to disease pathogenesis. By employing novel methodologies to study protease function within lipid bilayers, the laboratory aims to develop precision therapies targeting γ-secretase mechanisms in neurodegeneration and cancer, with particular attention to pathological APP processing implicated in dementia and Notch signaling dysregulation in oncology.