Zhongwei Li

Dr. Zhongwei Li is an Associate Professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, affiliated with the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Trained as a stem cell biologist, his research focuses on kidney regeneration, organoid engineering, and pluripotent stem cell biology. He holds a PhD from Tsinghua University (2007–2012) and completed postdoctoral training at the Salk Institute. His lab combines stem cell technologies, genome editing, and bioengineering to develop kidney organoids for disease modeling and transplantation therapies.

Education:

• PhD in Stem Cell Biology, Tsinghua University, 2012
• Bachelor’s Degree, Sichuan University, 2007

Research interests include:

• Kidney organoid patterning and maturation
• Stem cell differentiation pathways (BMP/Smad/DUSP9/ERK)
• 3D culture systems for nephron progenitors
• Applications in kidney disease modeling and regenerative medicine

Awards include the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award (2022), USC’s “Heros Among Us” Medal (2022), and Tsinghua University’s Outstanding PhD Thesis Award (2012).

His lab integrates molecular biology, developmental biology, and bioinformatics to engineer synthetic kidney tissues. Current projects aim to create functional kidney organoids and explore their therapeutic potential.