Xiao-Nan Li
Dr. Xiao-Nan Li’s animal models of childhood brain tumors along with data accessible through CCDI could help researchers more easily find treatments that work, expediting drugs to human clinical trials.
Professor, Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Lurie Children’s Hospital
Dr. Xiao-Nan Li (he/him) understands the importance of sharing information in childhood cancer research. He develops mouse models in his lab at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL that provides researchers with a more accurate picture of how brain tumors grow in children—and he distributes these free of charge to childhood cancer researchers.
But Xiao-Nan needs help to ensure his work makes the greatest impact.
“I’m very good at developing models,” Xiao-Nan said. “But data analysis is complicated for me. Sometimes it’s beyond our scope.”
That’s why he’s interested in CCDI and the Molecular Characterization Initiative. Gathering data on tumors’ genetic changes and making them accessible will enable researchers to find and test treatments in Xiao-Nan’s models that are most likely to work against brain tumors with specific molecular characteristics. When drugs work in mice, those treatments advance more quickly to human clinical trials, helping more children sooner.