Research Team

Yuqi Guo, MD, MS
Associate Research Scientist
Email: yg701@nyu.edu
(Sep 2013- present)

Inspired by her previous findings that succinate enhances osteoclastogenesis through its receptor Sucnr1, Yuqi’s currently focusing on two projects: developing a novel remedy for periodontitis by targeting Sucnr1, and studying Sucnr1’s effect in aging animals. Besides these, Yuqi’s in charge of most types of animal surgeries in the lab.

Yanli Zhang, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral scientist
Email: yz80@nyu.edu
(Mar 2018 – present)

Yanli obtained her Medical Degree and PhD from Dalian Medical University. Her research background is the inflammatory regulation in neurodegenerative disease. As a member of Li lab, her research mainly focused on the role of succinate signaling in the association between periodontitis induced neuroinflammation.

Caleb Almeter, BS
Junior Research Scientist
Department of Molecular Pathobiology

Caleb is a researcher in the Li lab at the College of Dentistry. He joined the team after completing his Bachelor’s Degree at SUNY Binghamton, where he studied biology and anthropology, and performed research in population genetics.

Zeynep Akpinar

Zeynep is an undergraduate research intern at the Li Lab. She is on the pre-dental track at the NYU College of Arts and Sciences, where she studies psychology, chemistry, and genetics. She is recently the recipient of a Dean’s Undergraduate Research Fund Grant for Spring 2021

Prem Prakash, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Email: pp2619@nyu.edu
(Sept 2021 – present)

Prem completed his Master’s in Molecular and Human Genetics at Banaras Hindu University, India and later joined the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology at New Delhi, India to pursue his Doctorate. He studied the host-pathogen protein-protein interaction during malaria parasite invasion in the erythrocyte. After completing his doctoral study, Prem moved to Nanyang technological University, Singapore, where he studied the host cell signaling during malaria parasite binding and invasion in the erythrocytes focusing on essential calcium influx and its activation through GPCR signaling pathway. Motivated by his interest in cell signaling and its impact on disease conditions, Prem joined the Li lab in 2021 where his research goal is to understand the role of Succinate signaling on host-microbiome interation in Periodontitis and Inflammaging.

Jiho Lim (NYU Dentistry honors research program Class 2022)

Andrew Jung (NYU Dentistry honors research program Class 2022)

Andrew Mingyu Park (NYU Dentistry honors research program Class 2023)

Patty Li (NYU Dentistry honors research program Class 2023)

Payalben Kansara (NYU Dentistry honors research program Class 2022)