Principle Investigator
Zibo Li, Ph.D.
With an organic chemistry background, Dr. Li switched his research direction after graduation, focusing on applying organic chemistry tools in molecular imaging. Molecular imaging is a fast-growing research area involving the development and evaluation of novel tools, reagents, and methods to image specific molecular pathways in vivo; particularly those that are key targets in disease processes. Within this area of research, Positron emission tomography (PET) has emerged as one of the most powerful clinical imaging techniques, because it can provide critical in vivo information on the distribution of radiolabeled biomolecules for non-invasive diagnosis. Dr. Li’s research has been focused on the development and validation of novel radiolabeling methods and multimodality molecular imaging probes for visualization and quantification of various molecular targets related to neuro, cardiac, diabetes, and cancer research. Radiochemistry has been and continues to be, the central focus of my research.
Research Scientist
Ben Giglio, Ph.D.
Huaifu Deng, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Xuedan Wu, Ph.D.
Xuedan Wu was born in Sichuan, China. He received his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Sichuan University. Then Xuedan continued on to graduate studies at the University of Virginia, where he joined the Pu Laboratory under the direction of Professor Lin Pu to study the BINOL-based fluorescent sensors for enantioselective recognition of amino acids and amino alcohols, as well as the BINOL-based ligands for asymmetric catalysis. He completed his Ph.D. in 2020 and then started his postdoctoral research on novel PET tracer synthesis and labeling for disease diagnosis and therapy.
Manshu Li, Ph.D.
Dr. Manshu Li earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Xiamen University in China. After that, he worked on radical chemistry methodology and asymmetric total synthesis under the guidance of Professor Friestad (University of Iowa). After graduating from the University of Iowa with a Ph.D. degree, he joined Zibo’s lab as a postdoctoral researcher. His current research focuses on new radiolabeling methodology development and novel PET tracer synthesis.
Muyun (Tony) Xu, Ph.D.
Dr. Muyun (Tony) Xu completed his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at Nankai University in 2015. After that, he joined Professor Charles E. Jakobsche’s lab at Clark University and earned his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry there in 2021. He mainly focused on organic chemistry, peptide synthesis, and computational chemistry during his studies at Nankai University and Clark University. His research interests in Zibo’s lab are the discovery and development of novel PET imaging agents and radiotherapeutic agents.
German O Fonseca Cabrera, Ph.D.
Dr German O Fonseca Cabrera is from Montevideo, Uruguay. He is an organic chemist who obtained his MSc degree from the University of the Republic-Montevideo, Uruguay in the synthesis of polyoxygenated natural compounds; and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in the synthesis of Alstonia related oxindole alkaloids. As a postdoctoral researcher, he worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (total synthesis of Kopsia related alkaloids) and at the Medical College of Wisconsin (in the fields of cell biology, inflammation, and Immunology) before joining Dr. Zibo Li group at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in late 2021. His primary research interests centered on the development and synthesis of biologically active compounds to target relevant diseases affecting people’s life nowadays. Chronic diseases, like cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease (which account for more than 50% of all deaths worldwide) and infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites require a continuous scientific effort of searching for better drugs to target all these conditions.
Sravani Sana, Ph.D.
Sravani Sana received her bachelor’s degree in pharmacy in the year 2013. Further, she moved to the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, India, to pursue postgraduation in Process Chemistry. Later, she obtained her Ph.D. degree at the same institute in Medicinal Chemistry in 2021. She also worked as a project trainee at Panacea Biotech, Mohali. Her field of research during MTech and Ph.D. focused on process optimization and impurity profiling of Protriptyline drug, Photocatalysis, Drug discovery, and Computational chemistry. Currently, she is working as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Zibo Li’s lab to develop novel PET tracers for biomedical applications.
He Zhang, Ph.D.
After getting a B.S degree in chemistry, Dr. He Zhang joined Dr. Xinqiao Jia’s group at the University of Delaware in 2014. With years of work on establishing 3-D networks via bioorthogonal chemistry, He achieved his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2021. Since the collaboration with Dr. Li’s group during his Ph.D. career, he explored his interests in utilizing bioorthogonal chemistry on developing innovative PET reagents and functional biomaterials, which motivate him to join Dr. Li’s group in 2022 to continue the research.
Graduate Student
Xinrui Ma, M.P.H.
Xinrui joined the Li group in 2021. She completed her undergraduate study in preventive medicine at Xiamen University, China, and then studied biostatistics at Temple University for graduate school. She also worked as a physician intern for one year at the hospital during her undergraduate. The clinical experience and statistics background equipped her with a practical perspective to her research design and supported her results with rigorous statistical analysis. She is one of the leading biology group members who work in novel PET tracer in-vivo tests and innovative nanoparticle and light-sensitive cancer therapy approaches. She loves skiing and Pilates when she is free.
Visiting Scholar
Qing Dan
Ms. Qing Dan obtained her medicine bachelor’s degree in 2017. Since 2017, she has been a doctoral student in medicine under Prof. Yingjia Li’s supervision in Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University. In 2021, She joined Prof. Zibo Li’s lab as a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on cancer theranostics and multimodal imaging.
| Previous Lab Members | |
| Mr. Yaofeng Zhong | |
| Dr. Shuli(Jason) Wang | Dr. Qing Dan |
| Dr. Wei Chen | Dr. Zhaoguo Han |
| Dr. Xianshuang Tu | Dr. Carla Staton |
| Dr. Hui Wang | Dr. Jianhua Cai |
| Ms. Jinghua Cai | Dr. Tao Zhang |
| Dr. Wangshui Cai | Dr. Wangshui Cai |
| Dr. Zeng Huang | Dr. Mengzhe Wang |
| Dr. Kangpo Li | Dr. Xiaofen Ma |
| Dr. Huijuan Feng | Dr. He Hu |
| Dr. Li Wang | Dr. Dan Li |
| … | … |