Education and Training

• 2000-2004: University of Science and Technology of China, College of Life Sciences, B.S. in Biology

• 2004-2009: Institute of Biochemistry and Celluler Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Supervisor: Lan Bao

Professional Experience

• 2009-2010: Institute of Biochemistry and Celluler Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Assistant, Supervisor: Bao Lan

• 2010-2016: Harvard Medical School, Postdoctoral Fellow, Supervisor: Stephen Liberles, HHMI

• 2017-present: Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Principal Investigator

Biography

• Using the mouse olfactory system as a model, our laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms regulating development of olfactory sensory neuron subpopulations and transcription of expressed olfactory receptor genes. We are also interested in elucidating the function of olfactory sensory neuron subpopulations, and how the olfactory dysfunction impacts emotion and cognition. Our current research projects focus on: 1) the role of epigenetics and three-dimensional genomic structures in regulating the singular olfactory receptor gene choice in olfactory sensory neuron subpopulations. 2) the molecular and structural basis for specific odorant recognition and animal behaviors mediated by distinct olfactory sensory neuron subpopulations. 3) the link between olfactory dysfunction and emotion/cognition.

Grant Support

Active:

• National Natural Science Foundation of China Outstanding Youth Project (32122038), "Cell fate of Olfactory Sensory Neuron Subtypes", 2022/01-2024/12, ¥2,000,000, project ongoing. Role: Principal Investigator.

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (31970933), "Molecular Mechanisms of Olfactory Receptor Gene Choice Regulated by ATF5", 2020/01-2023/12, ¥580,000, project ongoing. Role: Principal Investigator.

• National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021ZD0203100), “Neural circuits underlying interplay between sensation and emotion”, 2021/12-2026/11, ¥35,000,000, project ongoing. Lead PI: Zhi Zhang (University of Science and Technology). Role: Co-Principal Investigator.

• Basic Research Project from the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (21JC1404500), "Mechanisms underlying Olfactory Stem Cells Differentiation into Olfactory Sensory Neuron Subpopulations", 2021/10-2024/09, ¥1,000,000, project ongoing. Role: Principal Investigator.

• Shuguang Program supported by Shanghai Education Development Foundation and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (21SG16), "Molecular Mechanisms of Olfactory Sensory Neuron Subtypes Development", 2022/01-2024/12, ¥150,000, project ongoing. Role: Principal Investigator.

• Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine Startup Fund, ¥2,000,000, project ongoing. Role: Principal Investigator.

Completed:

• National Natural Science Foundation of China (31771154), "Trace Amine-Related Receptor Olfactory Subsystem: Function and Development", 2018/01-2021/12, ¥630,000, project completed. Role: Principal Investigator.

• Program for Young Scholars of Special Appointment at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning (QD2018017), 2019/01-2021/12, ¥600,000, project completed. Role: Principal Investigator.

• Shanghai Brain-Intelligence Project from the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (18JC1420302), "Mechanistic Study on Function and Impairment of Neural Networks for Sensation, Perception, and Cognition", 2018/12-2021/11, ¥9,380,000, project completed. Lead PI: Tian-le Xu. Role: Key Participant.

• Shanghai Pujiang Talent Program (17PJ1405400), “Molecular Mechanisms of Trace Amine-Related Receptor Olfactory Sensory Neuron Development”, 2017/07-2019/06, ¥200,000, project completed. Role: Principal Investigator.

• Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (17X100040037), ¥200,000, project completed. Role: Principal Investigator.

Publications

As Corresponding Author/Co-corresponding Author

• Guo, Lingna#; Dai, Wenxuan#; Xu, Zhengrong#; Liang, Qiaoyi; Miller, Eliot T; Li, Shengju; Gao, Xia; Baldwin, Maude W; Chai, Renjie*; Li, Qian*; “Evolution of brain-expressed biogenic amine receptors into olfactory trace amine-associated receptors”, Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2022, 39(3):msac006.

• Zhou, Haiqian#; Zhuang, Liujing#; Bao, Hongqiang#; Li, Shengju; Dai, Fengyan; Wang, Ping; Li, Qian*; Yin, Dongmin*; “Olfactory regulation by dopamine and DRD2 receptor in the nose”, PNAS, 2022, 119(11):e2118570119.

• Zhang, Qianwen#; Ding, Yu#; Feng, Biyun; Tang, Yijun; Chen, Yao; Wang, Yirou; Chang, Guoying; Liu, Shijian; Wang, Jian; Li, Qian*; Fu, Lijun*; Wang, Xiumin*; “Molecular and phenotypic expansion of Alström syndrome in Chinese patients”, Frontiers in Genetics, 2022, 13:808919.

• Xu, ZhengRong#; Guo, LingNa#; Qian, XiaoYun#; Yu, ChenJie#; Li, ShengJu; Zhu, ChengWen; Ma, XiaoFeng; Li, Hui; Zhu, GuangJie; Zhou, Han; Dai, WenXuan*; Li, Qian*; Gao, Xia*; “Two entry tunnels in mouse TAAR9 suggest the possibility of multi-entry tunnels in olfactory receptors”, Scientific Reports, 2022, 12(1):2691.

• Fei, Aimei#; Wu, Wanqing#; Tan, Longzhi#; Tang, Cheng#; Xu, Zhengrong; Huo, Xiaona; Bao, Hongqiang; Johnson, Mark; Hartmann, Griffin; Talay, Mustafa; Yang, Cheng; Riegler, Clemens; Joseph, Kristian; Engert, Florian; Xie, X Sunney; Barnea, Gilad; Liberles, Stephen D; Yang, Hui; Li, Qian*; “Coordination of two enhancers drives expression of olfactory trace amine-associated receptors”, Nature Communications, 2021, 12(1): 3798.

• Qian, Kangying; Zeng, Wanxin; Hao, Yue; Zeng, Xianting; Liu, Haowen; Li, Lei; Chen, Lili; Tian, Fumin; Chang, Cindy; Hall, Qi; Song, Chunxue; Gao, Shangbang; Hu, Zhitao; Kaplan, Josh M; Li, Qian*; Tong, Xiajing*; “Male pheromones modulate synaptic transmission at the C. elegans neuromuscular junction in a sexually dimorphic manner”, eLife, 2021, 10: e67170.

• Jia, Liang#; Li, Shengju#; Dai, Wenxuan; Guo, Lingna; Xu, Zhengrong; Scott, Anne M; Zhang, Zhe; Ren, Jianfeng; Zhang, Qinghua; Dexheimer, Thomas S; Chung-Davidson, Yu-Wen; Neubig, Richard R*; Li, Qian*; Li, Weiming*; “Convergent olfactory trace amine-associated receptors detect biogenic polyamines with distinct motifs via a conserved binding site”, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2021, 297(5): 101268.

• Gan, Linhua#; Sun, Jingjing#; Yang, Shuo; Zhang, Xiaocui; Chen, Wu; Sun, Yiyu; Wu, Xiaohua; Cheng, Cheng; ¥, Jing; Li, Anan; Corbett, Mark A.; Dixon, Mathew P.; Thomas, Tim; Voss, Anne K.; Gecz, Jozef; Wang, Guang-Zhong; Bonni, Azad; Li, Qian*; Huang, Ju*; “Chromatin-binding protein PHF6 regulates activity-dependent transcriptional networks to promote hunger response”, Cell Reports, 2020, 30(11): 3717-3728.e6.

• Xu, Zhengrong; Li, Qian*; “TAAR agonists”, Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 2020, 40(2): 257-272.

As First Author/Co-first Author

• Tan, Longzhi#; Li, Qian#; Xie, X Sunney*; “Olfactory sensory neurons transiently express multiple olfactory receptors during development”, Molecular Systems Biology, 2015, 11(12): 844. (Highlighted in Nature Chemical Biology)

• Li, Qian; Tachie, Baffour Yaw; Liu, Zhikai; Baldwin, Maude W; Kruse, Andrew C; Liberles, Stephen D*; “Non-classical amine recognition evolved in a large clade of olfactory receptors”, eLife, 2015, 4: e10441.

• Li, Qian; Liberles, Stephen D*; “Aversion and attraction through olfaction”, Current Biology, 2015, 25(3): 120-129.

• Li, Qian; Korzan, Wayne J; Ferrero, David M; Chang, Rui B; Roy, Dheeraj S; Buchi, Melanie; Lemon, Jamie K; Kaur, Angeldeep W; Stowers, Lisa; Fendt, Markus; Liberles, Stephen D*; “Synchronous evolution of an odor biosynthesis pathway and behavioral response”, Current Biology, 2013, 23(1): 11-20. (Commented in Current Biology)

• Li, Qian; Su, Yuanyuan; Wang, Hao; Li, Lei; Wang, Qiong; Bao, Lan*; “Transmembrane segments prevent surface expression of sodium channel Na(v)1.8 and promote calnexin-dependent channel degradation”, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2010, 285(43): 32977-32987.

• Zhang, Zhenning#; Li, Qian#; Liu, Chao; Wang, Haibo; Wang, Qiong; Bao, Lan*; “The voltage-gated Na(+) channel Na(v)1.8 contains an ER-retention/retrieval signal antagonized by the beta 3 subunit”, Journal of Cell Science, 2008, 121(19): 3243-3252.

Other Selected Papers

• Ferrero, David M; Moeller, Lisa M; Osakada, Takuya; Horio, Nao; Li, Qian; Roy, Dheeraj S; Cichy, Annika; Spehr, Marc; Touhara, Kazushige; Liberles, Stephen D*; “A juvenile mouse pheromone inhibits sexual behaviour through the vomeronasal system”, Nature, 2013, 502:368–371.

• He, Shaoqiu#; Zhang, Zhenning#; Guan, Jisong#; Liu, Hongrui; Zhao, Bo; Wang, Haibo; Li, Qian; Yang, Hong; Luo, Jie; Li, Ziyan; Wang, Qiong; Lu, Yingjin; Bao, Lan*; Zhang Xu*; “Facilitation of μ-Opioid Receptor Activity by Preventing δ-Opioid Receptor-Mediated Co-Degradation”, Neuron, 2011, 69:120-131.

Book Chapters

• Li, Qian; Liberles, Stephen D*; “Odor sensing by trace amine-associated receptors”, Book 《Chemosensory transduction: the detection of odors, tastes, and other chemostimuli》, Chapter 4, 2016.

• Li, Qian*; “Deorphanization of olfactory trace amine-associated receptors”, Book 《Olfactory receptors: methods and protocols》, Chapter 2, 2018.