We are proud to announce that Tengfei Li, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology at UNC-Chapel Hill, has been awarded a K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (Grant #: 1K01AG095286-01) from the National Institute on Aging. This prestigious five-year award provides $707,675 in support of Dr. Li’s research project, “Tracking brain structural trajectories for early detection and prognosis of Alzheimer’s Disease.” The project period runs from September 1, 2025 – May 31, 2030.
Dr. Li is a statistician dedicated to advancing the understanding of brain function, aging, cognition, and neurodegenerative disorders through the development of innovative statistical and machine learning methods. His research will unify multi-center, multi-modal neuroimaging and genetic datasets to establish life-span brain structural reference standards and a centile-based explainable AI system. This work aims to enable earlier and more precise detection of brain structural changes in the preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD).
Building upon his prior training in probability, mathematical statistics, and biostatistics, and with impactful publications in Science and Nature Genetics, Dr. Li will pursue four career development goals:
- Deepening understanding of the neurodevelopmental basis of AD/ADRD.
- Developing novel AI-driven methodologies for neuroimaging analyses.
- Enhancing expertise in analyzing multicenter big data.
- Strengthening leadership, collaboration, and translation of diagnostic tools into clinical practice.
Mentored by Hongtu Zhu, Ph.D., with guidance from an accomplished team of co-mentors, Dr. Li is well-positioned to become a leading independent investigator in neuroimaging and Alzheimer’s disease research. His work will address critical limitations in current neuroimaging approaches by creating reference standards that function like “growth charts” for the brain, enabling clinicians to identify abnormal aging and developmental patterns at the earliest stages of disease.
This award recognizes both Dr. Li’s outstanding potential and the importance of his research in advancing early detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Li on this significant achievement!