UVA Health · New patientsUVA Health · Charlottesville · New patients
The laboratory
Disc degeneration, macrophage biology, nanomedicine, and gene therapy — an NIH-funded lab translating discoveries into the clinic since 2004.
Dr. Li is an NIH-funded spine surgeon active in both laboratory and clinical research. He established an independent laboratory at the University of Virginia in 2004 and leads an internationally recognized program on disc degeneration and its treatment with stem cells, nanotechnology, and gene therapy.
By translating those discoveries into clinical care, he offers patients options that are current, evidence-based, and — whenever possible — less invasive than the default operation of a generation ago.
In early disc degeneration, enough viable nucleus pulposus cells remain that minimally invasive non–cell-based therapies such as gene transfer or growth factor injection can be appropriate. In moderate degeneration, loss of those cells limits those approaches, and ex vivo cell-based strategies become more relevant. In advanced degeneration, when the disc is largely nonfunctional, replacement with a tissue-engineered or artificial construct is the honest next step.
A short peptide that binds a marker on activated macrophages around a disc herniation, linked to a nanoparticle with anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. The long-term aim is a peripheral-vein injection that reduces inflammation at the herniation site — work a nurse could one day administer.
Read moreOur recent study found that ALIF provides superior restoration of lower lumbar lordosis compared with TLIF, while significantly reducing adjacent segment disease and the need for revision surgery. These findings help guide surgical decision-making and support more durable spinal alignment following fusion procedures.
Read moreA complementary examination for upper-extremity function in cervical myelopathy, published as a practical addition to the standard neurologic exam.
Read moreSelected NIH awards as principal investigator.
Li Jin, PhD
Professor of Research
Li Xiao, PhD
Assistant Professor of Research
Yuan Xing, PhD
Research Scientist
Appointments
New patients are welcome. Call the spine clinic or send a note — the team will help you find the right visit.