Professor Jia Li graduated from the Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Medical University in 1992. He entered Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1994 and obtained the doctorate of science in 2000. In the same year he joined in Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, and was responsible for the establishment of high-throughput screening models for drug discovery in the National Center for Drug Screening. From February 2003 till August 2003, he was invited to visit the Department of pathology at University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, focusing on the study of cell apoptosis and angiogenesis. From August, 2004 to February, 2005, he was invited to Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia for of the collaborative research of diabetes as a visiting scholar. He is now deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences, professor, group leader, doctoral supervisor and deputy director of State Key Laboratory of drug research. Professor Li and his group have established multi-targets screening, multi-function confirmation, and multi-index efficacy evaluation system for diabetes and cancer drug discovery, built up enzyme family based multi-target integrated high throughput screening platform, in line with international standards. Up to now, his team has completed over million data points in drug screening and discovered hundreds of bioactive compounds. As one of the major inventors, Professor Li led four drug candidates targeting metabolic diseases and two drug candidates targeting tumor with independent intellectual property rights, of which pre-clinical studies are under way. Among this, one of the drug candidates has been successfully transferred to a local pharmaceutical company and move forward cooperatively. As a corresponding author or co-corresponding author, Dr Li has published 112 papers, and as other authors, 85 papers, in e.g. Advanced Materials, Diabetes, Diabetologia, JBC, JMC and other international periodicals with >1500 total citations. The total impact factor is over 500 and the H-index is 21. In recent years, 41 patents have been authorized and other 54 patents were filed. He acquired the funding of National Outstanding Youth and won the twelfth session "Science & Technology Award for Chinese Youth" in 2011. In 2012 he acquired Ten Outstanding Youth of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Besides, he was awarded the second prize of National Science and Technology Progress, the first prize of Shanghai Science and Technology Progress, the second prize of China Pharmaceutical Association Science and Technology Progress and the first prize of Shanghai Pharmaceutical Science and Technology. Dr Li has chaired and participated in a number of national projects, including National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for “Significant New Drugs Development”, National Key Basic Research program of China (973 Program), National High-Tech R&D Program of China (863 Program), the Ministry of Science and Technology international cooperation key projects, the State Natural Science Fund projects for Creative Research Groups, general program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. In addition, he has undertaken many projects of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, including Priority Program，Main Direction Program. He also takes charge for numbers of major and key programs of Science Foundation of Shanghai.

EDUCATION
1988.09.01 – 1992.06.30  Ph. D. in Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 
                                          Shanghai, China
1994.09.01 – 2000.06.30  B.S. in General Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Medical
                                          University, Hangzhou, China, WORK

EXPERIENCE
2000.08.01 – 2002.03.31  Assistant Professor, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy 
                                          of Sciences, Shanghai, China
2000.08.01 – 2002.03.31  Associate Professor, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy
                                          of Sciences, Shanghai, China
2002.04.01 – 2005.06.30  Master Supervisor, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of 
                                          Sciences, Shanghai, China
2000.08.01 – Present        Head of Assay Model Development Department, The National Center for Drug 
                                          Screening, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of 
                                          Sciences, China
2002.04.01 – Present        Head of Investigation Team, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica,
                                          Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
2003.02.01 – 2003.08.31  Visiting Scholar, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, United
                                          Kingdom
2004.08.01 – 2005.02.28  Visiting Scholar, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Australia
2005.07.01 – Present        Professor, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of
                                          Sciences, Shanghai, China
2006.08.01 – Present        Ph. D. Supervisor, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of
                                          Sciences, Shanghai, China
2014.03.01 – Present        Deputy Director, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of
                                          Sciences, Shanghai, China

1. Discovery, evaluation and mechanism study of novel drug candidates targeting metabolic diseases;
2. Enzymes-based drug discovery;
3. Small molecule probes-based cell recognition and cell fate regulation.

Our research focuses on the key points in the pathogenesis and potential drug targets of metabolic diseases and cancer. We established an systemic discovery and preclinical evaluation process for novel drug candidates targeting to metabolic disease, including the hit identification based on multi-targets, multi-function confirmation by cellular assay and multi-level evaluation using in vivo disease models; We focus on the enzyme-based screening platform for drug discovery, and established more than 150 assays regarding the members of various enzyme families, including protease, kinase, phosphatase and epigenetic enzyme etc; Our group also pay close attention to development of small molecular probes and their potential application with cell recognition and cell fate regulation.

1. Major Projects for “Major New Drugs Innovation and Development” from The Ministry of Science and Technology,Research on the key technology of innovation drug discovery network pharmacological in diseases caused by targeting protein folding disorders,Project Leader, 2012.01-2015.12
2. Leading strategic technology special fund,Research on small molecule compounds in directed differentiation of stem cells,Sub Project Leader, 2011.01-2015.12
3. National Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars,Pharmacology in metabolic diseases,Project Leader, 2012.01-2015.12
4. Shanghai science and Technology Commission,Targeting adenosine monophosphate activating protein kinase to find new drug candidate in treatment of type 2 diabetes,Project Leader, 2013.05-2015.04
5. 973, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), China,Study on early intervention and proof of principle for Fatty liver and hyperlipidemia,Participation, 2012.01-2016.12
6. Knowledge Innovation Project of The Chinese Academy of Sciences,Population health and medical science and technology innovative drug R & D network in Chinese Academy of Sciences,Participation, 2011.01-2011.12

(2009.1.1- current)

1. Potent and Orally Efficacious Bisthiazole-Based Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors. Chen F, Chai H, Su MB, Zhang YM, Li J*, Xie X*, Nan FJ*. ACS Med Chem Lett 2014, in press.

2. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of peptidyl epoxyketone proteasome inhibitors composed of β-amino acids. Zhang JK, Han MM, Ma X, Xu L, Cao JY, Zhou YB, Li J, Liu T, Hu YZ. Chem Biol Drug Des. 2014, in press.

3. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel tripeptidyl epoxyketone derivatives constructed from β-amino acid as proteasome inhibitors. Zhang JK, Cao JY, Xu L, Zhou YB, Liu T, Li J*, Hu YZ*. Bioorg Med Chem 2014, 22(11):2955-2965.

4. Azoxystrobin, a mitochondrial Complex III Qo site inhibitor, exerts beneficial metabolic effects in vivo and in vitro. Gao AH, Fu YY, Zhang KZ, Zhang M, Jiang HW, Fan LX, Nan FJ, Yuan CG, Li J, Zhou YB, Li JY. Biochim Biophys Acta-General Subjects 2014, 1840(7):2212-2221.

5. Discovery, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) derivatives as a novel class of AMPKα2β1γ1 activators. Liu JH, Chen DK, Liu P, He MN, Li J, Li JY*, Hu LH*. Eur J Med Chem. 2014, 79:340-349.

6. Substitution Pattern Reverses the Fluorescence Response of Coumarin Glycoligands upon Coordination with Silver (I). Shi DT, Wei XL, Sheng Y, Zang Y, He XP*, Xie J, Liu G, Tang Y, Li J*, Chen GR*. Sci Rep. 2014, 4:4252.

7. Curcusone D, a novel ubiquitin-proteasome pathway inhibitor via ROS-induced DUBs inhibition, is synergistic with Bortezomib against multiple myeloma cell growth. Cao MN, Zhou YB*, Gao AH, Cao JY, Gao LX, Sheng L, Xu L, Su MB, Cao XC, Han MM, Wang MK, Li J*. Biochim Biophys Acta-General Subjects 2014, 1840(6):2004-2013.

8. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of hetero-aromatic moieties substituted pyrrole-2-carbonitrile derivatives as dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors. Ji X, Su M, Wang J, Deng G, Deng S, Li Z, Tang C, Li J, Li J*, Zhao L, Jiang H, Liu H*. Eur J Med Chem. 2014, 75:111-122.

9. Novel Small-Molecule AMPK Activator Orally Exerts Beneficial Effects on Diabetic db/db Mice. Li YY, Yu LF, Zhang LN, Qiu BY, Su MB, Wu F, Chen DK, Pang T, Gu M, Zhang W, Ma WP, Jiang HW, Li JY*, Nan FJ*, Li J*. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2013, 273(2):325-334.

10. A novel chemical uncoupler ameliorates obesity and related phenotypes in mice with diet-induced obese by modulating energy expenditure and food intake. Fu YY, Zhang M, Turner N., Zhang LN, Dong TC, GuM, Leslie SJ, Li JY*, Nan FJ*, Li J*. Diabetologia 2013, 56(10):2297-2307.

11. Novel small-molecule AMP-activated protein kinase allosteric activator with beneficial effects in db/db mice. Zhang LN, Xu L, Zhou HY, Wu LY, Li YY, Pang T, Xia CM, Qiu BY, Gu M, Dong TC, Li JY*, Shen JK*, Li J*. PLOS One 2013, 8(8):e72092.

12. Berberine combined with 2-deoxy-D-glucose synergistically enhances cancer cell proliferation inhibition via energy depletion and unfolded protein response disruption. Fan LX, Liu CM, Gao AH, Zhou YB*, Li J*. Biochim Biophys Acta-General Subjects 2013, 1830(11):5175-5183.

13. Fluorogenic probing of specific recognitions between sugar ligands and glycoprotein receptors on cancer cells by an economic graphene nanocomposite. Zhang HL, Wei XL, Cao JY, Liu SS, He XP*, Chen QB, Long YT, Li J*, Chen GR*, Chen KX. Adv Mater 2013, 25(30):4097-4101.

14. Development of Novel Alkene Oxindole Derivatives As Orally Efficacious AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Activators. Yu LF, Li YY, Su MB, Zhang M, Zhang W, Zhang LN, Pang T, Zhang RT, Liu B, Li JY, Li J*, Nan FJ*. ACS Med Chem Lett 2013, 4(5):475-480.

15. Novel Small-Molecule PGC-1α Transcriptional Regulator With Beneficial Effects on Diabetic db/db Mice. Zhang LN, Zhou HY, Fu YY, Li YY, Wu F, Gu M, Wu LY, Xia CM, Dong TC, Li JY*, Shen JK*, Li J*. Diabetes 2013, 62:1297-1307.

16. Synthesis and biological evaluation of piperamide analogues as HDAC inhibitors. Luo Y, Liu HM, Su MB, Sheng L, Zhou YB, Li J*, Lv W*. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2011, 21:4844-4846.

17. 8,8-Dimethyldihydroberberine with improved bioavailability and oral efficacy on obese and diabetic mouse models. Cheng Z, Chen AF, Wu F, Sheng L, Zhang HK, Gu M, Li YY, Zhang LN, Hu LH*, Li JY*, Li J*. Bioorg Med Chem 2010, 18:5915-5924.

18. AMPK activators as novel therapeutics for type 2 diabetes. Yu LF, Qiu BY, Nan FJ*, Li J*. Curr Top Med Chem 2010, 10:397-410.

19. A high-throughput assay for modulators of mitochondrial membrane potential identifies a novel compound with beneficial effects on db/db mice. Qiu BY, Turner N, Li YY, Gu M, Huang MW, Wu F, Pang T, Nan FJ, Ye JM, Li JY*, Li J*. Diabetes 2010, 59:256-265.

20. AMP-activated protein kinase is involved in neural stem cell growth suppression and cell cycle arrest by AICAR and glucose deprivation by down-regulating phsopho-retinoblastoma and cyclin D. Zang Y, Yu LF, Nan FJ, Feng LY, Li J*. J Biol Chem 2009,284:6175-6184.