Li Cai

Li Cai is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Rutgers University whose research integrates molecular and cellular engineering, developmental biology, and genomics to elucidate gene regulation in neural stem and progenitor cells and to develop transformative therapies for central nervous system injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. Trained in physiology and neurobiology at Rutgers University and further in developmental neuroscience and computational genomics through postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Cai has built a multidisciplinary program that bridges neural development, regenerative medicine, and translational therapeutics. His laboratory has made key contributions to understanding gene regulatory mechanisms governing neural development and injury response, including the identification of critical transcription factors such as Gsx1 and Nkx6.1 and their roles in neural progenitor activation, neurogenesis, and functional recovery following spinal cord injury. He has pioneered innovative gene therapy approaches, notably AAV6-mediated Gsx1 delivery, with strong translational potential and ongoing advancement toward clinical application. In addition, Dr. Cai has developed computational and statistical frameworks for genome-wide analyses, enabling major advances in transcriptomic and epigenetic research in both neuroscience and cancer biology.