Qi-Jing LI

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Translational T Cell Biology and Therapeutics
PhD – University of California (UC) Riverside, USA
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SUMMARY
Prof Li Qi-Jing is a Distinguished Principal Scientist and the Chief Innovation Office at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), òòò½Íø, Technology and Research (A*STAR). He concurrently holds a joint appointment as a Distinguished Principal Scientist at the òòò½ÍøImmunology Network (SIgN), A*STAR.

Prof Li Qi-Jing’s early research at Stanford focused on TCR antigen recognition and signaling sensitivity. He made a series of key contributions in defining the minimal subunit, rate-limiting step, and sensitivity controls of TCR activation. In 2008, he established his own lab at Duke University, expanding into cancer immunology and clinical immunotherapy. In 2022, he joined A*STAR òòò½Íøas a Distinguished Principal Scientist at IMCB and SIgN. Beyond basic research, Qi-Jing has been continuously translating his expertise in molecular biology and T cell biology into cancer immunotherapy and clinical immune monitoring. As an applied immunologist, he has built immunogenomics profiling tools, developed AI-driven antigen-specific TCR discovery platforms, engineered T cell and NK cell-based therapeutics, and designed and aided more than twenty phase I/II therapeutical trials against various cancers. As a serial entrepreneur, he co-founded three clinical-stage companies advancing CAR-T, TCR-T, and TIL cell therapeutics.

AWARDS & GRANTS
  • 2024 National Research Foundation (NRF) Investigatorship
  • 2024 Industry Alignment Fund-Pre-Positioning (IAF-PP) – Panakeia
  • 2024 Industry Alignment Fund-Pre-Positioning (IAF-PP) – EVANTICA
  • 2024 Open Fund – Large Collaborative GrantÌý
  • 2023 NRF Competitive Research Programme (CRP)Ìý

RESEARCH

Qi-Jing's research focuses on translational T cell biology and therapeutics, with an emphasis on understanding how tumors evade immune surveillance and developing innovative strategies to enhance T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. He investigates how tumors inhibit T and NK cell function both locally and systemically and explores the complex pathways of T cell differentiation and memory development in the tumor microenvironment. By dissecting key transcription factors, signaling pathways, immune checkpoints, and epigenetic programs governing T and NK cell function, his laboratory aims to develop clinically feasible strategies to counteract tumor-biased systemic immune suppression. Utilizing a combination of immunological, biochemical, and bioinformatics approaches, Qi-Jing works to enhance the efficacy of CAR-T, TCR-T, and NK cell therapies for tumors through genomic engineering and combination therapies, ultimately translating these findings into effective cancer treatments.


PUBLICATIONSÌý

  • Cheng J., Jin Z., Su C., ... Li, Q-J*., Jia Q.,*, Zhu., B.* (2025)
    Cancer Cell. S1535-6108(25)00137-0
    (*: Corresponding authors, PMID: 40280123).


  • Diyuan Qin, Yanna Lei, Pei Shu, Yugu Zhang, Yuin-Han Loh, Yongsheng Wang*, Qi-Jing Li*. (2025)
    Theranostics.15(8):3345-3367
    (*: Corresponding authors, PMID: 40093905 PMCID: PMC11905144)


  • Liu M., Zhu B., and Li Q.-J. (2024)
    Cancer Cell S1535-6108(24)00363-5. PMID: 39423815.


  • Tan L, Yin T, etc., LiÌý Q.-J. *, and Wang X.-F. * (2024)Ìý
    Nat Commun 15(1):8569.
    (*: Corresponding authors, PMID: 39362877; PMCID: PMC11450162)


  • Yin T. #, Wang G. #, Wang L., Mudgal P., Wang E., Pan C.C., Alexander P.B., Wu H., Cao C., Liang Y., Tan L., Huang D., Chong M., Chen R., Lim B.J.W., Xiang K., Xue W., Wan L., Hu H., Loh Y.H., Wang X.F., Li Q.-J.* (2024)
    Nature Immunology
    (*: Corresponding authors; PMID: 38195702)

  • Shao Y, Gao Q, Wang L, Li D, Nixon AB, Chan C, Li Q-J, Xie J. (2024）
    Brief Bioinform. 26(1):bbaf033. (PMID: 39927857)

  • Wong KW, Zeng Y, Tay E, Teo JHJ, Cipta NO, Hamashima K, Yi Y, Liu H, Warrier T, Le MTN, Ng SC, Li QJ, Li H, Loh YH. (2024)
    Nat Commun, PMCID: PMC11577042


  • Rucker AJ, Park CS, Li Q-J., Moseman EA, Chan FK. (2024)
    Cell Death Dis. 15(6):403.Ìý

  • Gao Q, Ji Z, Wang L, Owzar K, Li Q-J, Chan C, Xie J. (2024)
    Nucleic Acids Res 22;52(9):e46.

  • Huang D., Wang Y., Thompson J.W., Yin T., Alexander P.B., Qin D., Mudgal P., Wu H., Liang Y., Tan L., Pan C., Yuan L., Wan Y., Li Q.-J., * and Wang X.F. (2022)
    Nature Cell Biology 24(2):230-241
    (*: Corresponding authors, PMCID: PMC8852304)

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