The Department of Genetics is proud to announce that Yang Li, PhD, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Neurosurgery, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) ‘A’ Award Grant for his groundbreaking work in childhood cancer research. The award provides $800,000 in total funding over four years, supporting Dr. Li’s efforts to advance understanding of aggressive pediatric brain tumors.
The ALSF ‘A’ Award is one of the foundation’s most competitive early-career research grants, designed to help promising investigators establish independent, high-impact research programs in pediatric oncology. Funding through this award enables investigators to pursue bold, cutting-edge projects with strong potential to improve outcomes for children with cancer.
Dr. Li’s project, titled “Single-Cell Multimodal Analysis of 3D Genome and Epigenetic Dysregulation in Pediatric High-Grade Gliomas,” aims to dissect the complex genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying one of the most aggressive forms of childhood brain cancer. Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) are notoriously difficult to treat due to their cellular diversity and limited understanding of how gene regulation contributes to tumor growth.
Using advanced single-cell sequencing technologies, Dr. Li’s research will generate detailed maps of the 3D genome architecture and epigenetic states within individual tumor cells. By integrating these multimodal data, his team hopes to reveal key regulatory programs driving tumor progression and identify new therapeutic targets. Importantly, computational tools developed through this work will be shared with the broader research community to accelerate discoveries across pediatric cancer research.
The ALSF, founded in memory of Alexandra “Alex” Scott, continues its mission to fund cutting-edge pediatric cancer research and support families affected by childhood cancer. The ‘A’ Award Grants are part of a broader portfolio of ALSF research funding aimed at fostering the next generation of scientific leaders dedicated to finding better treatments and cures for childhood cancers.