Lab Research Interests and Directions
1. Mechanisms of antigen presentation by gut bacteria and the role of mucosal IgA in distinguishing between symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria
2. Influence of microbiota on adaptive immunity during various life stages
3. Randomness in the establishment of symbiotic bacteria within hosts and germinal center studies
4. Impact of gut-colonizing microbiota on B cell function in other mucosal immune systems
Specially Appointed Professor, Recipient of National Innovation Talent Program (2021), PhD Supervisor
- Graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Shandong Normal University in 2005
- Earned a PhD from the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS in 2011
- Conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Bern, Switzerland (2013-2015)
- Worked at Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern (2017-2022)
- Joined USTC's School of Life Sciences and Medicine as a PI in December 2022
Research focuses on the interactions between gut symbiotic microbiota and host adaptive immunity, and the resulting physiological and pathological outcomes. Published as first author in journals like Nature (2020), Immunity (2018), Nat Commun (2015), Cell Research, EMBO J; and as co-author in Science (two papers), Cell Host & Microbe (two papers), etc. H-index = 15, with over 2300 citations.
Representative Publications
Li H*, Limenitakis JP*, Greiff V, Yilmaz B, Schären O, Urbaniak C, Zünd M, Melissa L, Young I, Rupp S, Heikenwälder M, McCoy KD, Hapfelmeier S, Ganal-Vonarburg S*, Macpherson AJ*. Mucosal or systemic microbiota exposures shape the B cell repertoire. Nature, 2020, 584, pages274–278 (*equal contribution)
Uchimura Y*, Fuhrer T*, Li H*,Lawson MA,Zimmermann M,Yilmaz B, Zindel J,Ronchi F, Sorribas M, Hapfelmeier S, Ganal-Vonarburg SC, Gomez de Agüero M, McCoy KD, Sauer U, Macpherson AJ. Antibodies set boundaries limiting microbial metabolite penetration and the resultant mammalian host response. Immunity, 2018 Sep 18;49(3):545-559.e5. (*equal contribution)
Li H*, Limenitakis JP*, Fuhrer T, Geuking MB,Lawson MA,Wyss M, Brugiroux S,Keller I, Macpherson JA, Rupp S, Stolp B, Stecher B, Stein JV, Sauer U, McCoy KD, Macpherson AJ. The outer mucus layer hosts a distinct intestinal microbial niche. Nat. Comm., 2015, 6 (1), 1-13 (*equal contribution).
Li H, Limenitakis JP, Ganal S, Macpherson AJ. Penetrability of the inner mucus layer: who is out there? EMBO Reports,2015 ,16 (2), 127-129 (research commentary)
Yilmaz B, Mooser C, Keller I, Li H, Zimmermann J, Bosshard L, Fuhrer T, Gomez de Agüero M, Fernandez Trigo N, Tschanz-Lischer H, Limenitakis JP, Hardt WD, McCoy KD, Stecher B, Excoffier L, Sauer U, Ganal-Vonarburg SC, Macpherson AJ. Long-term evolution and short-term adaptation of microbiota strains and sub-strains in mice. Cell host & microbe, 2021,29 (4), 650-663. e9
Singh S, Thompson JA, Yilmaz B, Li H, Weis S, Sobral D, Truglio M, Aires da Silva F, Sandra Aguiar S, Carlos AR, Rebelo S, Cardoso S, Gjini E, Nuñez G, Soares MP. Loss of α-gal during primate evolution enhanced antibody-effector function and resistance to bacterial sepsis. Cell host & microbe, 2021, 29 (3), 347-361. e12
Grootjans J, Krupka N, Hosomi S, Matute JD, Hanley T,Saveljeva S,Gensollen T,Heijmans J, Li H, Limenitakis JP, Ganal-Vonarburg SC, Suo S, Luoma AM, Shimodaira Y, Duan J, Shih DQ, Conner ME, Glickman JN, Fuhler GM, Palm NW, de Zoete MR, van der Woude CJ, Yuan GC, Wucherpfennig KW, Targan SR, Rosenstiel P, Flavell RA, McCoy KD, Macpherson AJ, Kaser A, Blumberg RS. Epithelial endoplasmic reticulum stress orchestrates a protective IgA response. Science,2019 Mar 1;363(6430):993-998.
Yilmaz B & Li H. Gut Microbiota and Iron: The Crucial Actors in Health and Disease. Pharmaceuticals. 2018 Oct 5;11(4):98. (Review)
~ 2015:
Gomez de Agüero M, Ganal-Vonarburg SC, Fuhrer T, Rupp S, Uchimura Y, Li H, Steinert A, Heikenwalder M, Hapfelmeier S, Sauer U, McCoy KD, Macpherson AJ. The maternal microbiota drives early postnatal innate immune development. Science. 2016.
Cao Y*, Li H*, Liu H, Sun Y, Chen X, Zheng C, Ji H and Liu X. The serine/ threonine kinase LKB1 regulates thymocyte positive selection and TCR signal transduction. EMBO J. 2011 (*equal contribution)
Cao Y*, Li H*, Liu H, Zheng C, Ji H and Liu X. The serine/threonine kinase LKB1 controls thymocyte survival through regulation of AMPK activation and Bcl-XL expression. Cell Research. 2010 (*equal contribution)
Cao Y*, Li H*, Sun Y, Chen X, Liu H, Gao X and Liu X. Interferon regulatory factor 4 regulates thymocyte differentiation by repressing Runx3 expression. EJI. 2010 (*equal contribution)
Recruitment
1. Seeking associate researchers/postdoctoral fellows in immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, etc.
2. Welcoming students interested in gut microbiota symbiosis and host adaptive immunity for master's, PhD degrees, and undergraduate internships
Contact Information
E-mail: hai_li@ustc.edu.cn