Yijia Li PhD

Dr Yijia Li completed his PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Melbourne in 2014, having graduated from Tsinghua University with an undergraduate degree in Biology and a double degree in Economics from Peking University.

Having worked in Melbourne for 2 years after graduation at the first collaborative lab (Shunxi - Monash University Joint Lab) to be set up between a private Chinese company and Monash University, Dr Li was appointed the Director of the Yunnan Province Stem Cell Bank (YSCB) in Kunming in 2015.

Dr Li was responsible for building the YSCB from scratch and has successfully developed it into the largest stem cell bank in south-western China. The aim of YSCB is to develop stem cell storage, carry out genome research and conduct clinical trials on stem cell treatments for cancer. Last month, Dr Li and his team performed a series of stem cell treatments on a patient who had been suffering from systemic lupus erythematosis for over 8 years. Incredibly within 3 days of the first stage of the treatment, the patient was removed from the ventilator and within 6 days was able to leave the hospital. Following the second stage of treatment, the patient has now fully recovered.