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Personal Statement

Hello, My name is Jun-Liszt Li. I am currently working as a postdoc researcher in David M. Sabatini lab (IOCB Boston and IOCB Prague), a leading center for nutrient sensing and growth control research. My research focus is to understand the upstream logic of mTORC1 nutrient sensing pathway. At the Sabatini Lab, I have been fortunate to receive rigorous training in biochemistry and mechanistic cell biology. This experience not only refined my experimental precision but also shaped the way I think about scientific questions — emphasizing clarity, reproducibility, and the pursuit of fundamental molecular principles.

Previously, I was working as a PhD graduate student in PKU-CIBR joint program of Peking University. My long-term goal is to discover and characterize basic mechanisms underlying cell growth (Vascular cells and Neurons). In addition, I worked on next-generation gene delivery tools (rAAV vector/capsid engineering), next-generation sequencing (RNAseq/scRNAseq), Proteomics, advanced microscopic imaging (confocal/lightsheet/2p) in order to apply these technologies to explore animal physiology and address specific questions.

I would like to highlight five publications demonstrating my expertise with RNAseq/scRNAseq methods.

  1. Jun-Liszt Li# ¶, Zhanying Bi#, Xingjun Chen#, Tianyue Ming, Baoshan Qiu, Fengzhi Li, Ziyan Feng, Daosheng Ai, Tingting Zhang, Jiayu Wang, Shuai Lin, Yiping Lu, Hu Zhao, Zhanjing Wang, Juan Huang, Fei Zhao, Hu Zhao, Yilong Wang, Wenzhi Sun✝, Woo-ping Ge✝. “A targeted vector for brain endothelial cell gene delivery and cerebrovascular malformation modeling.” Nature Biomedical Engineering (29/10/2025) [PDF | PMID: 41162685 | DOI Link] First author

    • By rAAV-miniBEND mediated bAVM modeling and snRNAseq analysis, we identified key pathways or genes involved in bAVM onset and its progression. venous endothelial cells (vECs) is the most relevant endothelial cell subpopulation responsible for bAVM formation.

  2. Samuel Lundt#, Nannan Zhang#, Jun-Liszt Li ¶, Zhe Zhang, Xiaowan Wang, Ruisi Bao, Feng Cai, Wenzhi Sun, Woo-Ping Ge, Shinghua Ding✝ “Metabolomic and transcriptional profiling reveals bioenergetic stress and activation of cell death and inflammatory pathways in vivo after neuronal deletion of NAMPT.” Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism (09/02/2021) [PDF | PMID: 33563078 | DOI Link] Second author

    • By RNAseq analysis, we identified the activated downstream gene programs after neuronal deletion of a important enzyme in NAD+ salvage pathway.

  3. Xiaofei Gao#, Xing-jun Chen#, Meng Ye, Jun-Liszt Li ¶, Nannan Lu, Di Yao, Bo Ci, Fei Chen, Lijun Zheng, Yating Yi, Shiwen Zhang, Zhanying Bi, Xinwei Gao, Yuanlei Yue, Tingbo Li, Jiafu Lin, Ying-Chao Shi, Kaibin Shi, Nicholas E. Propson, Yubin Huang, Katherine Poinsatte, Zhaohuan Zhang, Dale B. Bosco, Shi-bing Yang, Ralf H. Adams, Volkhard Lindner, Fen Huang, Long-Jun Wu, Hui Zheng, Simon Hippenmeyer, Ann M. Stowe, Bo Peng, Marta Margeta, Qingchun Guo, Xiaoqun Wang, Qiang Liu, Jakob Körbelin, Martin Trepel, Hui Lu, Guoen Cai, Bo O. Zhou, Bo Shen, Ying-mei Lu, Wenzhi Sun, Jie-Min Jia, Feng Han, Hu Zhao, Robert M. Bachoo & Woo-ping Ge✝ “Reduction of neuronal activity mediated by blood-vessel regression in the brain.” Nature Communications (01/07/2025) [PDF | PMID: 40595484 | DOI Link]

    • By RNAseq analysis, we identified blood vessel regression cause a reduction of neuronal activity due to downregulated of gene cluster pertaining to glutamatergic transmission.

  4. Yihui Wang#, Yue Liang#, Daosheng Ai, Jun-Liszt Li ¶, Ziyan Feng, Zhibao Guo, Xing-jun Chen, Tingting Zhang, Xiaoxiao Zou, Jun-Li Gao, Xiaofei Gao, Xiao-Ling Hu, Long-Jun Wu, Wenzhi Sun, Suiqiang Zhu, Shumin Duan, Wei Wang✝, Woo-ping Ge✝ “ADAM10 mediates macroglial cell fate decisions in the developing brain.” BioRxiv (12/02/2023) [PDF | DOI Link] Under revision in Developmental Cell

    • By RNAseq analysis, We identified a gene program regulated by Adam10 that promote early oligodendrocyte differentiation and repress astrocyte differentiation.

  5. Wentong Hong#, Pifang Gong#, Zhonggan Ren#, Xinjie Pan#, Yitong Liu, Guibo Qi, Jun-Liszt Li ¶, Wenzhi Sun, Woo-ping Ge, Chun-Li Zhang, Shumin Duan, Song Qin✝ “Temporal-spatial generation of astrocytes in the developing diencephalon.” Neuroscience bulletin (16/10/2023) [PDF | PMID: 37843774 | DOI Link] Cover story

    • By RNAseq analysis of the region-specific 3V wall and lateral ventricle (LV) wall, we identified cohorts of differentially-expressed genes in the dorsal 3V wall compared to the ventral 3V wall and LV wall that may regulate astrogenesis in the dorsal diencephalon.

Interest Areas

Biological Question
  • mTORC1 pathway
  • Nutrient sensing pathways
  • Brain vasculature system
  • Brain metabolic system
  • AAV biology
Technology
  • AAV capsid engineering
  • rAAV vector engineering
  • scRNAseq & Spatial transcriptomics
  • Metabolomics & Spatial metabolomics
  • Proteomics (AP-MS)

Education

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Ph.D., Peking University, Beijing, China
SEPTEMBER 2018 — January 2024
Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AAIS)
Major in Neurobiology; PKU-CIBR joint Ph.D. program

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Bachelor, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
SEPTEMBER 2014 — JUNE 2018
College of Life Science and Technology
Major In Biological Science; Class of State Key Educational Base

Research Experiences

Postdoctoral researcher, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB) of the CAS, Prague
Tranquilyxxxx MAY 2024 — NOW
Advised by: Dr.David M. Sabatini, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Project: “Discovery of novel nutrient sensors based on evolutionary perspective of mTORC1 nutrient sensing pathway”
  • Skills: Molecular biology, biochemistry, IP-MS, yeast genetics, bioinformatic analysis (Proteomics, PPI screen based on Alphafoldv3)

Graduate student, Peking University & Chinese institute for Brain Research (CIBR)
MARCH 2019 — DECEMBER 2023
Advised by: Dr.Wenzhi Sun, Ph.D. and Dr.Wooping Ge, Ph.D.

  • Focusing on AAV capsid engineering and make molecular/genetic tools for study of brain vasculature system.
  • Applying Next-generation microscopy (Confocal, Lightsheet, Two photon) technology into study of brain vasculature system.
  • Applying Next-generation omics technology (Transcriptomics; Metabolomics) to study the molecular architecture of brain metabolic system.

Rotation student, National institute of Biological Science (NIBS), Tsinghua University
DECEMBER 2018 — FEBRUARY 2019
Advised by: Dr.Qinghua Liu, Ph.D.

  • Learning knowledge and research approaches(Genetic screen) in the Sleep field.
  • Designing and implementing Automatic sleep staging system based on manifold and deep learning algorithm(EEG/EMG data processing); Automatic video tracking based sleep staging system based on computer vision algorithms.

Rotation student, Institute of Biophysics (IBP), Chinese Academy of Sciences
SEPTEMBER 2018 — DECEMBER 2018
Advised by: Dr.Xiaoqun Wang, Ph.D.

  • Learning single cell sequencing technology including Patch-seq, Drop-seq.
    Skills including: single cell isolation, library construction, scRNA-seq data analysis( Linux system operation, R statistic analysis).

Undergraduate Researcher, National institute of Biological Science (NIBS), Tsinghua University
JANUARY 2018 — SEPTEMBER 2018
Advised by: Dr.Minmin Luo, Ph.D.

  • Designing and implementing a cell lethality Reporter(CLR) based system for orphan GPCRs high throughput screening(HTS) and novel kinase activity Reporter system

Undergraduate Researcher, HuaZhong Agricultural University
SEPTEMBER 2015 — JANUARY 2017
State key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology; Advised by: Dr.Gang Cao, Ph.D.

  • Verification of MagR assembly and probing the mechanism of cellular calcium homeostasis
  • Optimize the MagR-based magneto-genetics tool and develop MagR2.0 for non-invasive manipulation of neuronal activity.
  • MTB(Mycobacterium tuberculosis) gene overexpression and knockout(CRISPR system)

HZAU-iGEM team member, Inovation Lab, College of Life science and technology, HZAU
FEBRUARY 2015 - OCTOBER 2016
2016 HZAU-iGEM team member with instructor Dr.Bin-Guang Ma, PhD

  • Systems and Synthetic Biology learning: student presentation, case-based learning, and discussion
  • During the Competition and in our project, I am responsible for the Optical control part which uses light switchable circuit (LSC) to control the expression of bacteria movement related gene CheZ.
  • Website of HZAU-iGEM2016: http://2016.igem.org/Team:HZAU-China

2015 HZAU-iGEM team member with instructor Dr.BingGuang Ma, PhD

  • Systems and Synthetic Biology learning: student presentation, case-based learning, and discussion
  • During the Competition and in our project, I am responsible for the interface part. We choose the light and use Optogenetics technique to regulate the synthetic gene oscillator in bacteria.
  • Website of HZAU-iGEM2015: http://2015.igem.org/Team:HZAU-China

Summer Research intern, Wenzhou Medical University
JULY 2016 — JULY 2016
Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital; Advised by: Dr.Zhihui Li, Ph.D. and Dr. Jiang-Fan Chen, Ph.D.

  • Learning knowledge in field of instrumental behavior and Corticostriatal Adenosine A2A receptor studies.
  • Implementing Optogenetics and behavior experiment to study the function of Corticostriatal Adenosine A2A Receptor in spatial working memory Skills: Optogenetics operation, IHC staining, behavior experiment (T-maze), Handing of mice, maintenance, breeding of multiple mouse colonies and transgenic mice.

Summer Research intern, Wenzhou University
JULY 2014 — JULY 2014
Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, College of Chemistry & Materials Engineering;
Advised by: Dr.Zhongyu Li, Ph.D.

  • Learning knowledge in Polymer Chemistry, Molecular Engineering and Targeted Drug Delivery.
  • Designing and implementing chemical synthesis experiments to study the synthesis and characterization of a light-induced polymer-based H2S donor and a novel Polymer micelle for drug delivery.

Posters & Conferences:

SEPTEMBER 2015 — PRESENT

  1. Attendee, Prague bioML Symposium 2025, August 21–22, 2025 at IOCB Prague, Czech Republic (on site)
  2. Online attendee, The Cell Biology at Scale meeting 2025, July 31, 2025, West End Labs, 125 W End Ave, New York, NY 10023
  3. Online attendee, 7 th CCP Phenogenomics Conference, 2024, Prague, Czech Republic
  4. Attendee, High-end-Symposium of Metabolomics and exposomics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2021, Dalian, China
  5. Online Attendee, Beijing International Conference on Brain Science, 2020, Beijing, China
  6. Conference Volunteers, Beijing “Brain and Behavior” International Symposium and Zhongguancun Life Science Park Development Symposium, 2019, Beijing, China
  7. Attendee, Beijing International Academic Exchange Season-Brain Science and Brain-like Intelligence Research Symposium, Beijing Normal University, 2018, Beijing, China
  8. Attendee, International Workshop of Neuron Reconstruction and Applications, 2018, SEU-Allen Joint Institute, Nanjing, China
  9. Poster, P.C., H.K.J., B.Y.Z., J.L. (Jun Li), Z.X.D., X.X., B.C.C., Q.L.Z., B.G.M. et.al. Bio-Pattern Formation in Augmented Reality (BioPaFiAR), Giant Jambree iGEM meeting, 2016, MIT Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
  10. Poster, L.Q.D., L.Z.Y., Y.K.J., Z.’., Z.’.Y.J.’., L.J. (Jun Li),C.P., X.Y.B., H.K.J., X.S.’., L.S.J., G.Q.Q., Q.Y., B.G.M., Mixed-Reality Cell-Bidirectional coupling between real and virtual bio-oscillators, Giant Jambree iGEM meeting, 2015, MIT Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
  11. Poster, L.Q.D.,L.Z.Y.,Y.K.J.,Z.’.,Z.’.Y.J.’.,L.J. (Jun Li), C.P., X.Y.B., H.K.J., X.S.’., L.S.J., G.Q.Q., Q.Y., B.G.M., Mixed-Reality Cell-Bidirectional coupling between real and virtual bio-oscillators, CCIC (Conference of China iGEMers Committee) meeting, 2015, Peking University, Beijing, China

Honors & Awards （APRIL 2014 — PRESENT）

Honors

  1. IOCB postdoctoral fellowship, 10/2024, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
  2. China Optics Valley Scholarship, 12/2022, Optical Valley Foundation, China
  3. Merit Student, 12/2022, Peking University, China
  4. Excellent student Scholarship of Baosteel, 10/2021, (Baosteel Education Foundation), China
  5. Award for Academic Excellence, 12/2021, Peking University, China
  6. Outstanding Graduates, 06/2018, College of life Science and Technology, HZAU
  7. Dean Scholarship (The highest scholarship that represents student’s academic performance), 09/2017, College of life Science and Technology, HZAU
  8. National Endeavor Scholarship, 09/2017, Hubei Province Department of Education, China
  9. Model Student of Academic Records, 10/2016, College of life Science and Technology, HZAU
  10. Triple-A Student, 2017, College of Life Science and Technology, HZAU
  11. Triple-A Student, 2015, College of Life Science and Technology, HZAU
  12. Qifa Zhang Scholarship (Funded by Qifa Zhang who is an academician of Chinese academy of sciences, foreign academician of the American academy of sciences and The third world academy of sciences), 10/2015, College of life Science and Technology, HZAU
  13. Freshman Principle special Scholarship (Scholarship for Freshman year student honored by the president of HZAU), 09/2014, Huazhong Agricultural University

Awards

  1. Bronze medal of iGEM-2016 Competition (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition), 11/2016, MIT Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
  2. Gold medal and Best nomination of iGEM-2015 Competition (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition), 09/2015, MIT Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
  3. First prize of Academic excellence,03/2017, College of Life science and technology, HZAU
  4. First prize of Academic excellence,04/2015, College of Life science and technology, HZAU
  5. Second prize of Molecular biology Experiment Skill and Operation Contest, 06/2017, Office of Educational Administration, HZAU
  6. Second prize of Genetics Experiment Skill and Operation Contest, 06/2016, Office of Educational Administration, HZAU
  7. Second prize of Plant Biology Experiment Skill and Operation Contest, 07/2015, Office of Educational Administration, HZAU

Science and society

  1. Member of Chinese American Society for Mass Spectrometry (CASMS), 11/2025 TrxxCASMS
  2. Member of European Vascular Biology Organisation (EVBO), 11/2025 TrxxEVBO
  3. Founder and editor of the VasCure blog, a WeChat-based science communication platform (focused on promoting public understanding of vascular biology and biomedical research), since March 2023, China
  4. Conference Volunteer, Beijing “Brain and Behavior” International Symposium and Zhongguancun Life Science Park Development Symposium, 04/2019, Beijing, China
  5. Volunteer, Wuhan Science and Technology Museum (guiding school students through exhibitions on modern science and technology), 07/2016, Wuhan, China