Dr. Li uses mouse models to study the molecular mechanisms behind (and test therapeutic strategies for) neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Recently, his laboratory has developed a mouse model in which wild-type tau is converted to pathological tau in a neuritic plaque-dependent manner. His study offers novel mechanistic insight for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.