De-Pei Li, MD, MSc

De-Pei Li, MD, MSC, CPM, has been engaged in research in the field of neurobiology and synaptic plasticity during physiological and pathophysiological conditions for more than 25 years. The overarching and long-term goal of Dr. Li’s research is to identify novel mechanisms and targets for treatment and prevention of neurological disorders through understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms.

Research in Dr. Li’s lab focuses on cardiovascular science and neuroscience, with the goal of enhancing our understanding of the cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity during neuronal disorders, especially in cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. One of his research directions is neural control of autonomic function by brain regions such as the hypothalamus and amygdala in hypertension. Dr. Li’s group also uses optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches to study the neural circuitries involved in regulating blood pressure and heart rate in cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders.

Another research direction in the lab is to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in neuroendocrine and autonomic dysfunction in response to chronic stress. Dr. Li’s lab is further interested in determining the mechanism underlying chemotherapy-induced cognitive deficits (Chemobrain) and the role of chronic stress in brain disorders such as major depression and dementia.