Wei Li, PhD

Professor of Dermatology

Director, MSS Graduate Program

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Overview

Dr. Li research focuses on the following topics: 1) Identification of the “driver genes” for wound healing, 2) Identification of tumor-secreted molecules as drug targets for TNBCs (triple negative breast cancers). 3) Signal transduction to understand the cell motility signaling, which initiates at the cell surface, propagates via cytosolic signaling networks and executes by newly expressed and secreted gene products.

His experimental model systems are less manipulated primary human skin cells, whose migration is essential for both physiological processes, such as skin wound healing, and pathological occurrence, such as skin cancer, PDX models for TNBCs and pig models for wound healing.

Awards

  • USC Stevens Center for Innovation: Technology Commercialization Award, 2017
     – 2017
  • USC Stevens Center for Innovation: Technology Commercialization Award, 2018
     – 2018
  • USA: Elected Member, National Academy of Inventors, 2017
     – pre.

Education and Training

  • Xinjiang University, Urumqi, China — B.S. — 1982 — General Biology
  • CUSBEA, Guangzhou, China — English Certificate — 1984 — English
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City, NY — Ph.D. — 1991 — Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  • New York University Medical Center, New York City, NY — Postdoctoral Research — 1993 — Signal Transduction

Research Funding

  • Development of Extracellular Heat Shock Protein-90 as a Novel Topical Wound Healing
    NIH · R01AR059853 · Jul 1, 2011 – Apr 30, 2018 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Mechanisms of Human Dermal Fibroblast Migration
    NIH · R01GM067100 · Jan 1, 2003 – Apr 30, 2021 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • Signal Transduction of Human Keratinocyte Migration
    NIH · R01GM066193 · Jul 1, 2002 – May 31, 2013 · Role: Principal Investigator
  • STUDIES OF A NOVEL SH2/SH3-CONTAINING CELLULAR ONCOGENE
    NIH · R01CA065567 · Aug 15, 1995 – Apr 30, 2001 · Role: Principal Investigator

Research Keywords

  • big molecule drug development, wound healing, breast cancer

Publications

  • Targeting Hsp90 in Cancer for 25 Years: Failure of Previous Clinical Trials and New Hope for Future Therapeutics. Cells. 2025 12 15; 14(24).. View in PubMed
  • Previously unrecognized and potentially consequential challenges facing Hsp90 inhibitors in cancer clinical trials. Cell Stress Chaperones. 2024 10; 29(5):642-653.. View in PubMed
  • Discovery of Cell Number-Interstitial Fluid Volume (CIF) Ratio Reveals Secretory Autophagy Pathway to Supply eHsp90α for Wound Healing. Cells. 2024 07 30; 13(15).. View in PubMed
  • 1G6-D7 Inhibits Homologous Recombination Repair by Targeting Extracellular HSP90α to Promote Apoptosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Environ Toxicol. 2024 Nov; 39(11):4884-4898.. View in PubMed
  • Correction: Evolutionarily conserved dual lysine motif determines the non-chaperone function of secreted Hsp90alpha in tumour progression. Oncogene. 2024 May; 43(18):1397-1398.. View in PubMed
  • Stress biology: Complexity and multifariousness in health and disease. Cell Stress Chaperones. 2024 02; 29(1):143-157.. View in PubMed
  • Expression of Concern: Participation of the lipoprotein receptor LRP1 in hypoxia-HSP90α autocrine signaling to promote keratinocyte migration. J Cell Sci. 2023 11 01; 136(21).. View in PubMed
  • Why Are There So Few FDA-Approved Therapeutics for Wound Healing? Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Oct 12; 24(20). Chen M , Chang C, Levian B, Woodley DT , Li W . . View in PubMed
  • The Distinct Assignments for Hsp90α and Hsp90β: More Than Skin Deep. Cells. 2023 01 11; 12(2).. View in PubMed
  • LRP-1 receptor combines EGFR signalling and eHsp90α autocrine to support constitutive breast cancer cell motility in absence of blood supply. Sci Rep. 2022 07 14; 12(1):12006.. View in PubMed