Jun Li, MD, PhD, FANA, FAAN

John M. O’Quinn Foundation Presidential Distinguished Chair in Neurology, Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology
Professor of Neurology, Academic Institute
Full Clinical Member, Research Institute
Chair, Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College


Biography

Dr. Jun Li serves as Chairman of the Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology at the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, effective June 1, 2022. Dr. Li most recently served as the Chairman of the Department of Neurology, the Scientific Director of Translational Neuroscience Initiatives at Wayne State University, and the Specialist-in-Chief of Neurology at the Detroit Medical Center. Dr. Li spent nine years of his junior faculty career at WSU and another nine years at Vanderbilt University before taking on the chairman position at WSU.

Dr. Li received his medical degree from Anhui Medical University in the People’s Republic of China in 1985. He received his doctoral degree in Neurosciences in 1995 from the Drexel University College of Medicine (formerly Hahnemann University). He completed a Neurology residency in 1999 at the Ohio State University; and an EMG/Neuromuscular Fellowship in 2000 in the Department of Neurology at the University of Utah.

Description of Research

As a physician-scientist, Dr. Li subspecializes in peripheral nerve diseases and myelin biology. His laboratory has been continuously funded by NIH since 2004. He has published more than 90 articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. These contributions earned him a Wolfe Research Prize from American Neurological Association in 2014. He is a current member of the ANA Board of Directors and has also served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association, and the scientific committee of the Peripheral Nerve Society. He has been a member of NIH study sections for more than a decade.

Dr. Jun Li's research has two arms – basic science studies in laboratory and clinical research. The basic science research focuses on a better understanding of how myelinating Schwann cells interact with axons and how various genetic mutations in inherited peripheral nerve diseases (or Charcot-Marie-Tooth diseases) alter the molecular signaling between the two types of cells. These studies aim to identify molecular targets for developing therapeutic interventions.

His clinical studies examine a group of inherited peripheral nerve diseases that typically result in limb muscle weakness, sensory loss, and foot deformities in these patients. Dr. Li directs a CMT clinic that is specifically designated for patients with inherited peripheral nerve diseases. This multi-disciplinary clinic occurs weekly and sees patients from throughout the United States. His research team is interested in the genotype/phenotype of these diseases, the identification of novel genetic mutations causing the diseases, translating the laboratory findings to bedside practice, and developing biomarkers to monitor disease progression.

Publications

Genetic analysis and natural history of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease CMTX1 due to GJB1 variants
Inherited Neuropathies Consortium-Rare Disease Clinical Research Network 2023, , Brain, vol. 146, no. 10, pp. 4336-4349. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad187

Myelin Lipid Composition of Sciatic Nerves in a HNPP Mouse Model
Pernal, S, Hu, B & Li, J 2023, , 148th American Neurological Association annual meeting, Philadelphia, United States, 9/9/23 - 9/12/23.

Neuropathy due to bi-allelic SH3TC2 variants: genotype-phenotype correlation and natural history
Rehbein, T, Wu, TT, Treidler, S, Pareyson, D, Lewis, R, Yum, SW, Mccray, BA, Ramchandren, S, Burns, J, Li, J, Finkel, RS, Scherer, SS, Zuchner, S, Shy, ME, Reilly, MM & Herrmann, DN 2023, , Brain, vol. 146, no. 9, pp. 3826-3835. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad095

Specific Deoxyceramide Species Correlate with Expression of Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (MacTel2) in a SPTLC2 Carrier HSAN1 Family
Wilson, LMQ, Saba, S, Li, J, Prasov, L & Miller, JML 2023, , Genes, vol. 14, no. 4, 931. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14040931

Disease Progression in Charcot–Marie–Tooth Disease Related to MPZ Mutations: A Longitudinal Study
the Inherited Neuropathies Consortium–Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network 2023, , Annals of Neurology, vol. 93, no. 3, pp. 563-576. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.26518

Multiparametric Quantitative MRI of Peripheral Nerves in the Leg: A Reliability Study
Chen, Y, Baraz, J, Xuan, SY, Yang, X, Castoro, R, Xuan, Y, Roth, AR, Dortch, RD & Li, J 2024, , Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 563-574. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.28778

C698R mutation in Lrsam1 gene impairs nerve regeneration in a CMT2P mouse model
Moiseev, D, Wazir, Z, Liu, D, Li, J & Hu, B 2022, , Scientific Reports, vol. 12, no. 1, 12160, pp. 12160. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-15902-3

Candidate imaging biomarkers for PMP22-related inherited neuropathies
Roth, AR, Li, J & Dortch, RD 2022, , Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, vol. 9, no. 7, pp. 925-935. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51561

Gene therapy using Aß variants for amyloid reduction
Park, KW, Wood, CA, Li, J, Taylor, BC, Oh, SW, Young, NL & Jankowsky, JL 2021, , Molecular Therapy, vol. 29, no. 7, pp. 2294-2307. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.02.026

Automation of Quantifying Axonal Loss in Patients with Peripheral Neuropathies through Deep Learning Derived Muscle Fat Fraction
Chen, Y, Moiseev, D, Kong, WY, Bezanovski, A & Li, J 2021, , Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, vol. 53, no. 5, pp. 1539-1549. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.27508

Assessing non-Mendelian inheritance in inherited axonopathies
Inherited Neuropathy Consortium 2020, , Genetics in Medicine, vol. 22, no. 12, pp. 2114-2119. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41436-020-0924-0

Natural history of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A: A large international multicentre study
Inherited Neuropathies Consortium-Rare Disease Clinical Research Network (INC-RDCRN) 2020, , Brain, vol. 143, no. 12, pp. 3589-3602. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaa323

Demyelination in hereditary sensory neuropathy type-1C
Saba, S, Chen, Y, Maddipati, KR, Hackett, M, Hu, B & Li, J 2020, , Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, vol. 7, no. 9, pp. 1502-1512. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51110

Fatigue in patients with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies
Fritz, NE, Chen, Y, Waters, L, Saba, S, Hackett, M, Mada, FC & Li, J 2020, , Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 1400-1409. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.51133

Pmp22 super-enhancer deletion causes tomacula formation and conduction block in peripheral nerves
Pantera, H, Hu, B, Moiseev, D, Dunham, C, Rashid, J, Moran, JJ, Krentz, K, Rubinstein, CD, Won, S, Li, J, Svaren, J & Svaren, J 2020, , Human Molecular Genetics, vol. 29, no. 10, pp. 1689-1699. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaa082

Author Correction: Biallelic mutations in SORD cause a common and potentially treatable hereditary neuropathy with implications for diabetes (Nature Genetics, (2020), 52, 5, (473-481), 10.1038/s41588-020-0615-4)
Inherited Neuropathy Consortium 2020, , Nature Genetics, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 640. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-020-0649-7

Segmental nerve enlargement in CMT4J
Castoro, R, Crisp, J, Caress, JB, Li, J & Cartwright, MS 2020, , Muscle and Nerve, vol. 61, no. 6, pp. E44-E46. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.26873

Biallelic mutations in SORD cause a common and potentially treatable hereditary neuropathy with implications for diabetes
Inherited Neuropathy Consortium 2020, , Nature Genetics, vol. 52, no. 5, pp. 473-481. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-020-0615-4

A longitudinal study of CMT1A using Rasch analysis based CMT neuropathy and examination scores
Fridman, V, Sillau, S, Acsadi, G, Bacon, C, Dooley, K, Burns, J, Day, J, Feely, S, Finkel, RS, Grider, T, Gutmann, L, Herrmann, DN, Kirk, CA, Knause, SA, Laurá, M, Lewis, RA, Li, J, Lloyd, TE, Moroni, I, Muntoni, F, Pagliano, E, Pisciotta, C, Piscosquito, G, Ramchandren, S, Saporta, M, Sadjadi, R, Shy, RR, Siskind, CE, Sumner, CJ, Walk, D, Wilcox, J, Yum, SW, Züchner, S, Scherer, SS, Pareyson, D, Reilly, MM & Shy, ME 2020, , Neurology, vol. 94, no. 9, pp. e884-e896. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000009035

Length-dependent MRI of hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies
Pridmore, M, Castoro, R, McCollum, MS, Kang, H, Li, J & Dortch, R 2020, , Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 15-25. https://doi.org/10.1002/acn3.50953