Xiaochun Li, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Endowed Title Rita C. and William P. Clements, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research

Department Molecular Genetics | Biophysics

Graduate Programs Cell and Molecular Biology, Molecular Biophysics

Education

Undergraduate: Tsinghua University (2008), Chemistry
Graduate School: Tsinghua University (2012), Life Sciences

Research Interest

Cholesterol Metabolism
Hedgehog signaling pathway
Lysosomal membrane proteins and lysosomal storage diseases

Publications

Featured Publications

Structure of nevanimibe-bound tetrameric human ACAT1.: Long T, Sun Y, Hassan A, Qi X, Li X, Nature 2020 May 581 7808 339-343
Marked structural rearrangement of mannose 6-phosphate/IGF2 receptor at different pH environments.: Wang R, Qi X, Schmiege P, Coutavas E, Li X, Sci Adv 2020 Feb 6 7 eaaz1466
Structural basis for itraconazole-mediated NPC1 inhibition.: Long T, Qi X, Hassan A, Liang Q, De Brabander JK, Li X, Nat Commun 2020 Jan 11 1 152
Structural basis for human sterol isomerase in cholesterol biosynthesis and multidrug recognition.: Long T, Hassan A, Thompson BM, McDonald JG, Wang J, Li X, Nat Commun 2019 Jun 10 1 2452
Cryo-EM structure of oxysterol-bound human Smoothened coupled to a heterotrimeric G_i.: Qi X, Liu H, Thompson B, McDonald J, Zhang C, Li X, Nature 2019 Jun
Structural basis for PtdInsP2-mediated human TRPML1 regulation: Fine M, Schmiege P, Li X Nat Commun 2018 Oct 9 1 4192
Two Patched molecules engage distinct sites on Hedgehog yielding a signaling-competent complex.: Qi X, Schmiege P, Coutavas E, Li X Science 2018 Aug
Structures of human Patched and its complex with native palmitoylated sonic hedgehog.: Qi X, Schmiege P, Coutavas E, Wang J, Li X Nature 2018 Jul
Human TRPML1 channel structures in open and closed conformations.: Schmiege P, Fine M, Blobel G, Li X Nature 2017 Oct 550 7676 366-370
Mechanistic Insights into the Generation and Transduction of Hedgehog Signaling.: Qi X, Li X, Trends Biochem. Sci. 2020 May 45 5 397-410

Honors & Awards

Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award
(2019)
Tri-Institutional (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center, Rockefeller University and Weill Cornell Medicine) Breakout Prize for Junior Investigators
(2017)
The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Fellow of the Life Sciences Research Foundation
(2014-2017)
C.H. Li Memorial Scholar Fund Award, Rockefeller University
(2013-2013)