Jing Li, MD, PhD

Dr. Jing Li is a research fellow at Dr. Weiping Zou’s lab in University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He earned his PhD degree from the Genes and Development program at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. During his graduate school study, he has received Gigli Family Endowed Scholarship and a few of other awards. His graduate school research focus on epigenetics modulation of breast cancer stemness. His current research project integrates the advantages of both epigenetics and cancer immunotherapy. Specifically, he is interested in the genetic/epigenetic antagonism of Polycomb and SWI/SNF complex and immune response in the ovarian cancer microenvironment, and the mobilization of immune system to attack ovarian cancer. ARID1A is mutated as high as 50% of ovarian clear cell carcinoma patients (OCCC), is a great model to study and harness ovarian cancer immunity. He hypothesizes that ARID1A mutation alters immune responses of ovarian clear cell carcinoma and high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), and compromise the current immune checkpoint blockade based immunotherapy. Mechanistically, antitumor immunity of ARID1A is dependent on (or associated with) the physical interaction of EZH2 and STAT1, and the methylation enzymatic activity of EZH2 might be also involved.