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Liwu Li, Ph. D. Principal Investigator Dr. Li received his B.S. degree from China in 1986, a Ph.D from Univ. of Michigan in 1996, and did his post-doc training at Michigan till 1999 when he first cloned human CDC14A/B phosphatases involved in dephosphorylating CDK substrates and related PTEN phosphatase. He was an Assistant and Associate Professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine from 1999 till 2005 working on innate memory dynamics. He has served as an associate editor of the Journal of Immunology, a panel member for various NIH study sections, and president for the Inflammation Research Association. Dr. Li is currently a Professor at Virginia Tech, and holds joint appointment at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and School of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Li is an elected fellow of the American Heart Association.
Research Faculty
	Shuo Geng, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor Selected publication: Resolving monocytes generated through TRAM deletion attenuate atherosclerosis.2021. JCI Insight 6(20):e149651 Low-grade inflammatory polarization of monocytes impairs wound healing. 2016 J Pathology. 238(4):571-83 The persistence of low-grade inflammatory monocytes contributes to aggravated atherosclerosis. 2016 Nature Communications. 7:13436.
	Yao Zhang, Ph.D. Research Assistant Professor Selected publication: Innate Priming of Neutrophils Potentiates Septic Multiorgan Injury. 2020 Immunohorizons. 4(7):392-401. Neutrophils Deficient in Innate Suppressor IRAK-M Enhances Anti-tumor Immune Responses. 2020 Molecular Therapy. 28(1):89-99. Enhanced tumor immune surveillance through neutrophil reprogramming due to Tollip deficiency. 2019. JCI Insight. 4(2):e122939.
Support Faculty, Graduate Students and Scholars
	Feng Xu, B.S. Chemistry, Pekin University. Research Faculty Coordinator
	Jing Wang, Ph.D. Tsinghua University Propagation of innate immune memory through cellular communications Wang J, Wu Y, Lin R, Zhang Y, Li L*. (2023) TRAM deletion attenuates monocyte exhaustion and alleviates sepsis severity. Front Immunol. 14:1297329.
	Blake Caldwell, Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania Epigenetic modulation of innate immune memory dynamics; systems bioinformatics of innate memory dynamics Caldwell B, Wu Y, Wang J, Li L* (2024) Altered DNA methylation underlies monocyte dysregulation and immune exhaustion memory in sepsis. Cell Reports. Functionally distinct roles for TET-oxidized 5-methylcytosine bases in somatic reprogramming to pluripotency. 2021 Molecular Cell 81(4):859-869.e8.
	Yajun Wu, Qingdao University School of Medicine, Graduate Student Intervention of innate monocyte exhaustion Wu Y, Caldwell B, Wang J, Zhang Y, Li L* (2024) Alleviation of monocyte exhaustion by BCG derivative mycolic acid. iScience. 27(2): 108978
	Udipta Bohara, Hollins University (Joint supervisor: Dr. Biswarup Mukhopadhyay), Graduate Student Intervention of innate exhaustion with BCG derivatives Single-cell analysis of innate memory trajectory
	Grace Atkinson, University of South Carolina, Graduate Student Mechanisms of low-grade inflammation memory in monocytes and therapeutic interventions
	Heba Mehran, Helwan University, Graduate Student Neutrophil memory dynamics in health and disease
	Ziyue Yi, University of Minnesota, Graduate Student Single-cell analysis of innate memory trajectory Selected publication: Development of Exhausted Memory Monocytes and Underlying Mechanisms. 2021 Frontiers in Immunology. 12:778830. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.778830.
	Jackie Hou, Virginia Tech, Undergraduate assistant
	Ran Lu, Ph.D, Research Associate
Alumni
Former Post-docs: Steve Fasciano, PhD, Chair of Science, Lincoln College of New England Kathleen Richter, PhD, NIEHS Jianmin Su, PhD, Research Assistant Professor, VTC Medical School Qifa Xie, PhD, University of Louisville Medical School Urmila Maitra, PhD, University of Alabama Keqiang Chen, PhD, Research Scientist, NIH Former Graduate Students: Kisha Pradhan, PhD, Scientist, Catamaran Bio, Boston Allison Rahtes, PhD, Albany Medical College Christina Lee, PhD, Stanford Medicine, Arsenal Bio Brittany Boribong, PhD, Harvard Medical School Matt Morris, PhD, University of Rochester Medical School Ruoxi Yuan, PhD, Hospital for Special Surgery/Cornell Medicine Liz Kowalski, PhD, Virginia Tech Bianca Baker, PhD, Director, Kala Pharmaceuticals Chimera Lyle, PhD, Boston University Medical School Trevor Glaros, PhD, Group leader, Los Alamos National Laboratory Samantha Chang, PhD, DVM, Practicing Veterinaian Neeraj Singh, PhD, DVM, Assistant Professor, Oklahoma State University Lorna Ringwood, PhD, Wake Forest Medicine MD Mike Surace, PhD, Director, Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals Lu Gan, PhD, NIH, Clinical Research Scientist Tamisha Vaughan, PhD, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals Former Undergradaute students: Julia Button, UNC School of Medicine Sean Dougherty, VCU School of Medicine/UVA Residency Erin Huber, PhD student, John Hopkins School of Public Health Ka-Po Leung, Pharmacy student, VCU School of Pharmacy Phil Nguyen, Dental student, VCU School of Dentistry Andrew Becker, Medical Student, VCOM Lee Howell, Research Staff, Naval Research Center Sarah Davis, PhD student, Univ of Tennessee