Melody Man Hing Li, Ph.D.

As a trained molecular virologist, Li combines molecular biology, biochemistry, evolutionary biology and genome-wide approaches to study immune responses to medically relevant arboviruses — RNA viruses transmitted to humans primarily by mosquitos. Her ultimate goal is to shed light on the cellular mechanisms that play a role in various host-virus interactions and inform the development of effective vaccines and drugs to combat these viruses.

Li has made important contributions to the fields of host-virus interactions, innate immunity and cell biology. She’s collaborating with center member April Pyle, Ph.D., to study the molecular characteristics of alphaviruses that allow them to attack the brain. They’re conducting this research using a stem cell-derived blood-brain barrier cell culture system that enables them to closely examine the host immune response at the blood-brain barrier interface and to identify new genes that could protect from neuroinvasive viral infections.

In May 2022, Li was among a team of UCLA researchers who were awarded a grant to study the long-term effects of COVID-19, otherwise known as long COVID. With Li’s expertise in immunology, the team is investigating whether long COVID could be caused by lingering fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that might remain even after the body has cleared the virus — triggering an overactive immune response. If their hypothesis is shown to be correct, the team hopes to identify therapies for patients who are suffering from the relatively new and often debilitating syndrome.