Chunyi Li

Biography

Dr Li is one of the leading research scientists of deer antler biology in the world. He received his PhD from Medical School of University of Otago New Zealand on stem cells and antler regeneration in 1997, and subsequently was employed as a senior scientist by AgResearch New Zealand to further investigate antler biology. In 2013 he returned to China to take the position (currently holds) of executive director of State Key Lab for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals, China. Through years of antler research he came to realise that antlers are a fascinating biomedical research model. Annual renewal of antlers offers unique opportunities to explore how nature has solved the problem of mammalian organ regeneration. Unprecedented growth rate (up to 2.75 cm/day!) of antlers provides a rare system where fast cell proliferation is elegantly regulated without becoming cancerous. The self-differentiation ability of antler stem cells (from which an organ can form in postnatal animal) can serve as an invaluable model for generic stem cell research. During the course of investigation, Dr Li has published over 80 papers in peer-reviewed SCI journals and around 200 papers in Chinese core academic journals (mainly as the first author or the corresponding author), attended over 30 relevant conferences, and co-authored 4 books. A highlight of Dr Li’s career was his delivery of the plenary lectures in the 1st (Banff, Canada, 2000), the 2nd (Queenstown, New Zealand, 2004) and the 3rd (Changchun, China, 2011) International Symposium on Antler Science and Product Technology; in the 6th (Prague, Czech Republic, 2006), the 7th (Huilo Huilo, Chile, 2010), the 8th (Harbin, China, 2014) and the 9th (Denver, US, 2018) International Deer Biology Congress; and in the 5th World Deer Congress (Changchun, China, 2010). He was also invited to give a lecture in the Annual Stem Cell conference of Australia Stem cell Society (Canberra, Australia, 2008). He thinks that the biggest contribution he has made through these years of antler research is the promotion of the antler model to the biomedical research society. Dr Li believes his promotion of the antler model has the potential to greatly benefit mankind both in medicine and antler production.