George Washington University · BiochemistryAdipocyte Tumor Interactions Lab
Rong Li · Washington, District of Columbia
Research Focus
Dr. Rong Li's lab at George Washington University focuses on understanding how adipocytes, a type of fat cell, influence breast cancer and antitumor immunity. The research explores the roles of PD-L1 in the breast tumor microenvironment and seeks to reveal new mechanisms by which T cells respond to the tumor environment, especially in the context of obesity. By investigating these interactions, the lab aims to improve immunotherapy strategies for breast cancer, particularly for patients struggling with obesity-related health challenges.
breast cancerPD-L1adipocytestumor microenvironmentimmunotherapyT cell functionchronic inflammationBRCA1cancer biologymetabolism
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how adipocyte PD-L1 affects immune interactions in breast tumors.
AIM 02Identify the mechanisms regulating adipocyte PD-L1 expression.
AIM 03Assess the impact of adipocyte PD-L1 on immunotherapy efficacy in different obesity contexts.
AIM 04Explore how NELF regulates CD8+ T cell functions uniquely in the tumor microenvironment.
AIM 05Determine the dual roles of NELF in T cell transcription and TCR signaling.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemolecular cloningmouse modelsimmunohistochemistryflow cytometryRNA sequencingCRISPRWestern blotgene expression analysistumor immunology
Output against the department
Publications774top 4% of dept.15th of 402
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations12ktop 40% of dept.159th of 402
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.