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, Biosynthesis and Signaling
Lysosomal Membrane Proteins and Lysosomal Storage Diseases

Publications

Featured Publications

Sterols in an intramolecular channel of Smoothened mediate Hedgehog signaling.: Qi X, Friedberg L, De Bose-Boyd R, Long T, Li X, Nat. Chem. Biol. 2020 Sep
Structure of nevanimibe-bound tetrameric human ACAT1.: Long T, Sun Y, Hassan A, Qi X, Li X, Nature 2020 May 581 7808 339-343
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
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
Molecular basis of V-ATPase inhibition by bafilomycin A1.: Wang R, Wang J, Hassan A, Lee CH, Xie XS, Li X, Nat Commun 2021 03 12 1 1782
Insights into the Irritating Mechanisms of TRPA1 Revealed by Cryo-EM.: Fine M, Li X, Neuron 2021 Jan 109 2 194-196

Honors & Awards

Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award
(2019-2022)
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)