Kai Li, IDimmune Lab PI

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunology at UConn Health. I earned my PhD in 2018 at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany, where I trained in the lab of Jürgen Ruland, focusing on the role of C-type lectin receptors in tissue damage. I then moved to the United States for my postdoctoral training in David Underhill’s lab at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where I studied innate immune receptors involved in phagocytosis. During this time, we developed a proximity labeling-based method, termed PhagoPL, to profile the protein composition of phagosomes containing biologically relevant particles such as microbes. As the head of the LI-IDImmune Lab at UConn Health, I aim to build a collaborative and dynamic team dedicated to discovering novel players in immune sensing and identifying new mechanisms and therapeutic targets involved in inflammatory responses during infection, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. My primary role is to provide scientific guidance and secure funding to support the lab’s growth, while mentoring trainees to help them achieve their scientific and career goals.