Education

• 1990-1993 Postdoc Fellow, The Forsyth Institute. Harvard University affiliate
• 1989-1990 Postdoc Fellow, The Population Council's Center for Biomedical Research (CBR), Rockefeller University affiliate
• 1988 Ph.D., Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Institution of Biochemistry, The Academy of Sciences of China
• 1979 B.S., Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, China

Biography

Go To Yi-Ping Li's Laboratory

At UAB, Dr. Yi-Ping Li was the Jay M McDonald Endowed Professor, Senior vice Director of the Center for Metabolic Bone Disease, Co-Director of Global Center for Craniofacial, Oral and Dental Diseases, and Associate Director of their NIH T32 "Training Program in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases Research”. He also held a secondary appointment as Professor in UAB’s Dental School. Dr. Li has been an adjunct professor at The Forsyth Institute, which is affiliated with Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Li’s research, sponsored by the NIH for 26 years, covers a large scope of topics, including bone biology,  musculoskeletal diseases, immune disorders,  craniofacial development, tumorigenesis and cancer bone metastasis. These varied research interests have proven to be synergistic as there are overlapping themes and techniques. He was one of the first scientists to apply molecular biology approaches to the study of osteoclasts. His work resulted in the publication of a number of seminal papers on the cloning and characterization of the genes that are essential to osteoclast function or differentiation, including Cathepsin K, ATP6i, RGS10A, C/EBPα and Gα13. His work has also resulted in the awarding of 6 patents. The lab has a long history of experience using animal models to study the pathogenesis of human diseases.

Before joining UAB, Dr. Li was Professor, Department of Cytokine Biology, at the Forsyth Institute, Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He received his BS degree in Chemistry from Zhejiang University and his PhD  degree in Molecular Genetics from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of China, P.R. China in 1988 and completed his Post-doctoral Research Training in Medical Genetics at The Forsyth Institute, Department of Immunology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1993.

Google Scholars: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RTpI-QYAAAAJ&hl=en
 

Appointment and Position

• 2021-present Dean’s Endowed Chair Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA

• 2010-2021 Jay M. McDonald Endowed Professor, Tenured Full Professor, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham,  Alabama

• 2010-2015 Senior Vice Director for Research, Center for Metabolic Bone Disease, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama

• 2010-2018 Adjunct Senior Research Investigator, Department of Cytokine Biology, The Forsyth Institute, Harvard University.

• 2007- 2010 Tenured Senior Member of the Staff (equivalent to tenured full professor). Department of Cytokine Biology, The Forsyth Institute, Harvard University.

• 1998-2007 Associate Member of the Staff (equivalent to Associate Professor), Department of Cytokine Biology, The Forsyth Institute, Harvard University.

• 1995-2008 Assistant Member of the Staff (equivalent to Assistant Professor), Department of Cytokine Biology, The Forsyth Institute, Harvard University.

• 1994-1995 Instructor, Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Publications

(Last 5 years)
Articles

1. Tang CY, Wu M, Zhao D, Edwards D, McVicar A, Luo Y, Zhu G, Wang Y, Zhou HD, Chen W, Li YP. Runx1 is a central regulator of osteogenesis for bone homeostasis by orchestrating BMP and WNT signaling pathways. PLoS Genet. 2021 Jan 21;17(1):e1009233. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009233. PMID: 33476325; PMCID: PMC7819607.

2. Tang J, Xie J, Chen W, Tang C, Wu J, Wang Y, Zhou XD, Zhou HD, Li YP. Runt-related transcription factor 1 is required for murine osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. J Biol Chem. 2020 Aug 14;295(33):11669-11681. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA119.007896. Epub 2020 Jun 22. PubMed PMID: 32571873; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7450143.

3. Tang CY, Chen W, Luo Y, Wu J, Zhang Y, McVicar A, McConnell M, Liu Y, Zhou HD, Li YP. Runx1 up-regulates chondrocyte to osteoblast lineage commitment and promotes bone formation by enhancing both chondrogenesis and osteogenesis. Biochem J. 2020 Jul 17;477(13):2421-2438. doi: 10.1042/BCJ20200036. PubMed PMID: 32391876.

4. Wang Y, Chen W, Hao L, McVicar A, Wu J, Gao N, Liu Y, Li YP. C1 Silencing Attenuates Inflammation and Alveolar Bone Resorption in Endodontic Disease. J Endod. 2019 Jul;45(7):898-906. doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2019.02.024. Epub 2019 May 16. PubMed PMID: 31104818.

5. Li Z, Liu T, Gilmore A, Gómez NM, Fu C, Lim J, Yang S, Mitchell CH, Li YP, Oursler MJ, Yang S. Regulator of G Protein Signaling Protein 12 (Rgs12) Controls Mouse Osteoblast Differentiation via Calcium Channel/Oscillation and Gαi-ERK Signaling. J Bone Miner Res. 2019 Apr;34(4):752-764. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3645. Epub 2019 Jan 28. PubMed PMID: 30489658; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7675783.

6. Guo S, Zhang Y, Zhou T, Wang D, Weng Y, Chen Q, Ma J, Li YP, Wang L. GATA4 as a novel regulator involved in the development of the neural crest and craniofacial skeleton via Barx1. Cell Death Differ. 2018 Nov;25(11):1996-2009. doi: 10.1038/s41418-018-0083-x. Epub 2018 Mar 9. PubMed PMID: 29523871; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6219484.

7. Chen J, Deng L, Porter C, Alexander G, Patel D, Vines J, Zhang X, Chasteen-Boyd D, Sung HJ, Li YP, Javed A, Gilbert S, Cheon K, Jun HW. Angiogenic and Osteogenic Synergy of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Cocultured on a Nanomatrix. Sci Rep. 2018 Oct 24;8(1):15749. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-34033-2. PubMed PMID: 30356078; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6200728.

8. Huang H, Wang J, Zhang Y, Zhu G, Li YP, Ping J, Chen W. Bone resorption deficiency affects tooth root development in RANKL mutant mice due to attenuated IGF-1 signaling in radicular odontoblasts. Bone. 2018 Sep;114:161-171. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2017.12.026. Epub 2017 Dec 29. PubMed PMID: 29292230.

9. Chen W, Zhu G, Jules J, Nguyen D, Li YP. Monocyte-Specific Knockout of C/ebpα Results in Osteopetrosis Phenotype, Blocks Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Mice, and Reveals an Important Function of C/ebpα in Osteoclast Differentiation and Function. J Bone Miner Res. 2018 Apr;33(4):691-703. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.3342. Epub 2018 Jan 26. PubMed PMID: 29149533; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6240465.

10. Chen W, Zhu G, Tang J, Zhou HD, Li YP. C/ebpα controls osteoclast terminal differentiation, activation, function, and postnatal bone homeostasis through direct regulation of Nfatc1. J Pathol. 2018 Mar;244(3):271-282. doi: 10.1002/path.5001. Epub 2018 Jan 29. PubMed PMID: 29083488; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6240466.

11. Jules J, Li YP, Chen W. C/EBPα and PU.1 exhibit different responses to RANK signaling for osteoclastogenesis. Bone. 2018 Feb;107:104-114. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2017.05.009. Epub 2017 Oct 12. PubMed PMID: 29032174; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6240464.

12. Jules J, Chen W, Feng X, Li YP. C/EBPα transcription factor is regulated by the RANK cytoplasmic 535IVVY538 motif and stimulates osteoclastogenesis more strongly than c-Fos. J Biol Chem. 2018 Jan 26;293(4):1480-1492. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.736009. Epub 2017 Nov 9. PubMed PMID: 29122885; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5787821.

13. Wu M, Wang Y, Shao JZ, Wang J, Chen W, Li YP. Cbfβ governs osteoblast-adipocyte lineage commitment through enhancing β-catenin signaling and suppressing adipogenesis gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Sep 19;114(38):10119-10124. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1619294114. Epub 2017 Sep 1. PubMed PMID: 28864530; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5617241.

14. McConnell M, Feng S, Chen W, Zhu G, Shen D, Ponnazhagan S, Deng L, Li YP. Osteoclast proton pump regulator Atp6v1c1 enhances breast cancer growth by activating the mTORC1 pathway and bone metastasis by increasing V-ATPase activity. Oncotarget. 2017 Jul 18;8(29):47675-47690. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.17544. PubMed PMID: 28504970; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5564597.

15. Pan J, Wang J, Hao L, Zhu G, Nguyen DN, Li Q, Liu Y, Zhao Z, Li YP, Chen W. The Triple Functions of D2 Silencing in Treatment of Periapical Disease. J Endod. 2017 Feb;43(2):272-278. doi: 10.1016/j.joen.2016.07.014. PubMed PMID: 28132712.

16. Wu M, Chen W, Lu Y, Zhu G, Hao L, Li YP. Gα13 negatively controls osteoclastogenesis through inhibition of the Akt-GSK3β-NFATc1 signalling pathway. Nat Commun. 2017 Jan 19;8:13700. doi: 10.1038/ncomms13700. PubMed PMID: 28102206; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5253683.

17. Ping Z, Siegal GP, Harada S, Eltoum IE, Youssef M, Shen T, He J, Huang Y, Chen D, Li Y, Bland KI, Chang HR, Shen D. ERBB2 mutation is associated with a worse prognosis in patients with CDH1 altered invasive lobular cancer of the breast. Oncotarget. 2016 Dec 6;7(49):80655-80663. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.13019. PubMed PMID: 27811364; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5340256.

18. Chen W, Gao B, Hao L, Zhu G, Jules J, MacDougall MJ, Wang J, Han X, Zhou X, Li YP. The silencing of cathepsin K used in gene therapy for periodontal disease reveals the role of cathepsin K in chronic infection and inflammation. J Periodontal Res. 2016 Oct;51(5):647-60. doi: 10.1111/jre.12345. Epub 2016 Jan 11. PubMed PMID: 26754272; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5482270.

19. Jules J, Chen W, Feng X, Li YP. CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Protein α (C/EBPα) Is Important for Osteoclast Differentiation and Activity. J Biol Chem. 2016 Jul 29;291(31):16390-403. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M115.674598. Epub 2016 Apr 20. PubMed PMID: 27129246; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4965585.

20. Wu M, Chen G, Li YP. TGF-β and BMP signaling in osteoblast, skeletal development, and bone formation, homeostasis and disease. Bone Res. 2016;4:16009. doi: 10.1038/boneres.2016.9. eCollection 2016. Review. PubMed PMID: 27563484; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4985055.

21. Yuan X, Cao J, Liu T, Li YP, Scannapieco F, He X, Oursler MJ, Zhang X, Vacher J, Li C, Olson D, Yang S. Regulators of G protein signaling 12 promotes osteoclastogenesis in bone remodeling and pathological bone loss. Cell Death Differ. 2015 Dec;22(12):2046-57. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2015.45. Epub 2015 Apr 24. PubMed PMID: 25909889; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4816106.

22. Hao L, Chen J, Zhu Z, Reddy MS, Mountz JD, Chen W, Li YP. Odanacatib, A Cathepsin K-Specific Inhibitor, Inhibits Inflammation and Bone Loss Caused by Periodontal Diseases. J Periodontol. 2015 Aug;86(8):972-83. doi: 10.1902/jop.2015.140643. Epub 2015 Apr 16. PubMed PMID: 25879791; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4648620.

23. Zhu Z, Chen W, Hao L, Zhu G, Lu Y, Li S, Wang L, Li YP. Ac45 silencing mediated by AAV-sh-Ac45-RNAi prevents both bone loss and inflammation caused by periodontitis. J Clin Periodontol. 2015 Jul;42(7):599-608. doi: 10.1111/jcpe.12415. Epub 2015 Jun 11. PubMed PMID: 25952706; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4620917.

24. Jules J, Yang S, Chen W, Li YP. Role of Regulators of G Protein Signaling Proteins in Bone Physiology and Pathophysiology. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;133:47-75. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.02.002. Epub 2015 Apr 27. Review. PubMed PMID: 26123302; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4817727.

25. Hao L, Chen W, McConnell M, Zhu Z, Li S, Reddy M, Eleazer PD, Wang M, Li YP. A small molecule, odanacatib, inhibits inflammation and bone loss caused by endodontic disease. Infect Immun. 2015 Apr;83(4):1235-45. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01713-14. Epub 2015 Jan 12. PubMed PMID: 25583522; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4363442.