Li Ma

Li Ma is the Nylene Eckles Distinguished Professor and Associate Professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research integrates cell biology, molecular biology, and tumor biology to elucidate the mechanisms driving cancer metastasis, with a particular focus on gene expression regulation and the tumor microenvironment. Her recent work has identified novel drivers of bone metastasis, including acyl-CoA–binding protein via in vivo CRISPR activation screens, and has uncovered the role of the histone methyltransferase ASH1L in priming metastatic niches and reprogramming macrophages. She has also investigated long noncoding RNA Malat1 in osteoporosis and bone metastasis, and explored systemic metabolic control of liver regeneration. Her contributions have been recognized with the Discovery of Metastasis Driver Genes award, and her findings are published in high-impact venues such as Science Translational Medicine, Nature Communications, and Nature Metabolism.