Xin Li joins GENETICS as associate editor

A new associate editor is joining GENETICS. We’re excited to welcome Xin Li to the editorial team.

Xin Li
Associate Editor

Xin Li is the Qiushi Distinguished Professor at Zhejiang University and serves as the Executive Director of the Center for RNA Medicine. He completed his undergraduate studies at Tsinghua University in the Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, followed by a PhD from Cornell University under the mentorship of John Schimenti and Bik Tye. His postdoctoral training was conducted at the RNA Therapy Institute at University of Massachusetts Medical School/Howard Hughes Medical Institute with Phillip Zamore and Melissa Moore. Prior to his return to China, he held positions as Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at the RNA Center of the University of Rochester. Throughout his career, Professor Li has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards recognizing his contributions to the field. These include the Liu Memorial Award, the Hsien Wu and Daisy Yen Wu Scholarship, the Lalor Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Foundation for Medical Research Fellowship, the NIH Pathway to Independence Award, the AFRI Award, the MIRA, the Kun Peng Award, and the Zhejiang Talent Award.

The primary objective of the Li Lab is to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms governing the fate of cytoplasmic RNA. This includes why some RNA molecules in the cell last longer and are more active than others, and why the same RNA can behave differently in different types of cells. These variations play a pivotal role in molecular mechanism underlying development and pathogenesis and the conceptualization of RNA-targeted pharmacological interventions.

Employing an integrative methodology that combines wet lab techniques with in silico (dry lab) analysis and comparative genomic studies across a spectrum of animal models, the Li Lab seeks to decode the cell-specific principles underlying cytosolic RNA translation and degradation. The ultimate goal is to harness these insights for the innovation of RNA-based therapeutic modalities.