Feng Li-INSTITUTE FOR TRANSLATIONAL BRAIN RESEARCH

Feng Li

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Feng Li Principal Investigator

Neuronal metabolism

Position:Professor of Neuroscience at Fudan University.

Background: Dr. Li received his Ph.D. from Fudan University. He studied metabolic enzymes mutants in cancer, such as mutations occurs in gene of IDH (isocitrate dehydrogenase), at Dr. Shimin Zhao’s lab. He found the phenotype of hypersuccinylation in tumors bearing IDH mutants, and its mechanism by which hypersuccinylation promotes tumorigenesis. During his postdoctoral work with Dr. Yuanquan Song at University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, he studied axon regeneration in Drosophila and Mice. He applie d metabolism analysis in the injured nervous system, both glia and neurons. He joined the ITBR at Fudan University as a Tenure-Track Investigator in June, 2021. His laboratory uses a combination of genetic analysis, two- and single- photon fluorescence microscopy, biochemistry to investigate the relationship between glia and neurons in physiology and diseases, especially the metabolic connections.

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Our interest is to find novel links between neurons and other types of tissues, mainly the neuron-glia interactions. Using Drosophila as our model system, we study how metabolism is coordinated in these cells, and their dysregulation in diseases. Our ongoing projects try to elucidate the roles of glia after neural injury. Besides the diminished intrinsic growth capacity of mature neurons, the CNS environment has been demonstrated as inhibitory to axon regrowth compared with the permissive peripheral nervous system (PNS). To understand the underlying mechanisms, previous studies have conventionally focused on the inhibitory milieu associated with the lesion site. It is principally constituted by the scar-forming reactive glial cells, leading to stalled axon regrowth. The idea is to gain insight into this inhibitory environment by studying the alteration of metabolic connections between glia and neurons after injury. Ultimately, the hope is to develop a Pro-Regenerative strategy for damaged nervous system based on the newly identified mechanism.