Pulin Li

Pulin Li

Eugene Bell Career Development Professor of Tissue Engineering; Core Member, Whitehead Institute

Pulin Li is interested in quantitatively understanding how genetic circuits create multicellular behavior in both natural and synthetically engineered systems.

617-452-4235

Phone

WI-601A

Office

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Location

Laura Resteghini

Assistant

617-258-7778

Assistant Phone

Education

  • PhD, 2012, Chemical Biology, Harvard University
  • BS, 2006, Life Sciences, Peking University

Research Summary

We are fascinated by how and why cells organize into spatial patterns within tissues, aiming to uncover the fundamental design principles that govern tissue form and function. To explore this, we adopt a bottom-up approach to reconstitute multicellular patterns in vitro using synthetic biology tools, guided by mathematical modeling. In parallel, we study how patterns emerge in natural tissues and investigate their functional roles, using a combination of quantitative imaging, mouse genetics, machine learning, and stem cell engineering. Our current focus is on the patterning of the embryonic and adult lung. Through these complementary efforts, we strive to achieve a quantitative, multi-scale understanding of tissue development and to create new strategies for tissue engineering.

Awards

  • Teaching Prize for Undergraduate Education, MIT School of Science, 2023
  • Allen Distinguished Investigator, The Paul Alen Frontiers Group, 2021
  • New Innovator Award, National Institutes of Health Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program, 2021
  • R.R. Bensley Award in Cell Biology, American Association for Anatomy, 2021
  • Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Young Investigator Award, 2016
  • NIH Pathway to Independence Award K99/R00 (NICHD), 2016
  • American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2015

Recent Publications

  1. A tissue-scale strategy for sensing threats in barrier organs. Nguyen, DH, Tian, J, Shanahan, SL, Wang, CK, Jacks, T, Wang, X, Li, P. 2025. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.1101/2025.03.19.644134PMID:40166266
  2. Reconstructing signaling histories of single cells via perturbation screens and transfer learning. Hutchins, NT, Meziane, M, Lu, C, Mitalipova, M, Fischer, D, Li, P. 2025. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.1101/2025.03.16.643448PMID:40166200
  3. Biomedical data and AI. Xu, H, Zhou, S, Zhu, Z, Vitelli, V, Chen, L, Dai, Z, Yang, N, Lai, L, Yang, S, Ovchinnikov, S et al.. 2025. Sci China Life Sci 68, 1536-1540.
    doi: 10.1007/s11427-024-2859-1PMID:40100542
  4. Diffusion barriers imposed by tissue topology shape Hedgehog morphogen gradients. Schlissel, G, Meziane, M, Narducci, D, Hansen, AS, Li, P. 2024. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121, e2400677121.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.2400677121PMID:39190357
  5. Lhx2 is a progenitor-intrinsic modulator of Sonic Hedgehog signaling during early retinal neurogenesis. Li, X, Gordon, PJ, Gaynes, JA, Fuller, AW, Ringuette, R, Santiago, CP, Wallace, V, Blackshaw, S, Li, P, Levine, EM et al.. 2022. Elife 11, .
    doi: 10.7554/eLife.78342PMID:36459481
  6. Reconstitution of Morphogen Signaling Gradients in Cultured Cells. Kim, JS, Pineda, M, Li, P. 2021. Methods Mol Biol 2258, 43-56.
    doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1174-6_4PMID:33340353
  7. Synthetic Developmental Biology: Understanding Through Reconstitution. Schlissel, G, Li, P. 2020. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 36, 339-357.
    doi: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-020620-090650PMID:33021822
  8. Communication codes in developmental signaling pathways. Li, P, Elowitz, MB. 2019. Development 146, .
    doi: 10.1242/dev.170977PMID:31249008
  9. Specific oxylipins enhance vertebrate hematopoiesis via the receptor GPR132. Lahvic, JL, Ammerman, M, Li, P, Blair, MC, Stillman, ER, Fast, EM, Robertson, AL, Christodoulou, C, Perlin, JR, Yang, S et al.. 2018. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115, 9252-9257.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.1806077115PMID:30139917
  10. Morphogen gradient reconstitution reveals Hedgehog pathway design principles. Li, P, Markson, JS, Wang, S, Chen, S, Vachharajani, V, Elowitz, MB. 2018. Science 360, 543-548.
    doi: 10.1126/science.aao0645PMID:29622726
  11. Synthetically programming natural cell–cell communication pathways for tissue engineering. Wallach, L. A., Thomas, C. D., and Li, P. 2024. Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering 32, 100554.
    doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobme.2024.100554

Multimedia

 

Photo credit: Raleigh McElvery