Rong Li, Ph.D.
Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore
Seminar Information
Mechanical processes are central to diverse cellular functions but can also be sources of cellular stress leading to aging phenotypes. My lab currently investigates three problems related to cell mechanics and stress: 1) how intracellular fluid dynamics coupled with cytoskeletal forces drive early mammalian development and reproductive aging, and how the ageing process is influenced by the stromal and follicle somatic cell environments; 2) how stress-induced protein aggregation and subsequent disaggregation are orchestrated by and affect organelles such as mitochondria and ER; and 3) the interplay between biophysical stress and chromosome instability and its contribution to cellular adaptation and cancer evolution. I will present a combination of recent findings in these areas of our research.
Professor Rong Li came from Johns Hopkins University where she served as the Director of the Centre for Cell Dynamics in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She was recruited to NUS in 2019 as the second Director of Mechanobiology Institute (MBI). Professor Li is a globally respected leader in the study of cellular dynamics and mechanics. Her interdisciplinary research integrates genetics, quantitative imaging, biophysical measurements, mathematical modelling, genomics and proteomics — to understand how eukaryotic cells transmit their genomes, adapt to the environment, and establish distinct organisation to perform specialised functions.
The diverse projects in Professor Rong Li’s lab contribute to two main research thrusts: cell and tissue aging; cellular and organismal adaptation. The study on aging focuses on understanding dynamic changes of crucial cellular components during the aging process and how these changes alter the mechanical functions of cells and tissues. The insights gained will be applied to the development of new methods for prolonging healthy aging and the repair and regeneration of deteriorated functions. The study of adaptation aims to understand the dynamics of genetic and epigenetic determinants of cells and tissues under acute or chronic stress which lead to adaptive behaviours ultimately beneficial or detrimental to the fitness of the organism. A potential application of the discoveries in this area is the prevention of cancer associated with chronic inflammatory diseases.
Lab Webpage: https://www.mbi.nus.edu.sg/rong-li/