The long-term research goals in Dr. Li’s laboratory are to understand, in mechanistic detail, how RNA viruses enter, replicate, and express genetic information in order to understand viral pathogenesis, and to facilitate the rational design and development of new vaccines and anti-viral drugs. Currently, we are studying RNA viruses that causes respiratory infection including human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), and SARS-CoV-2; and RNA viruses that cause enteric infection including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), and human norovirus.

The Li lab is one of only a few laboratories studying RNA processing and RNA modifications in viruses. During 2004-2008, he characterized mRNA capping enzyme and mRNA cap methyltransferases in non-segmented negative-sense RNA viruses. During 2008-2016, he characterized the roles of mRNA cap methylation in viral replication, pathogenesis, innate and adaptive immunity. Since 2016, the Li laboratory has been focused on characterization of viral and host internal RNA methylation and understand their roles in viral replication, gene expression, and pathogenesis.