Zihai Li was named director of the Institute for Immuno-Oncology at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-James Cancer Hospital.
He comes to Ohio State from the Medical University of South Carolina, where he was a professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and co-leader of the Center Immunology Program at Hollings Cancer Center.
Li is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians. His primary interests are in the mechanisms of immune regulation in cancer. Some of his research focuses on immunological properties of heat shock proteins in cancer immunotherapeutics against cancer by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment, including regulatory T cells, thrombocytes, and unfolded protein response. His work is supported by NIH, including a program project grant from NCI and four RO1s.