Hollings Cancer Center immunologist inducted into Association of American Physicians

Physician scientist and Hollings Cancer Center immunologist Zihai Li, M.D., Ph.D., was inducted into the Association of American Physicians (AAP).

The prestigious honorary medical society, founded in 1885, serves as one of the nation's leading professional organizations for physician scientists. Each year, nominees for membership undergo rigorous review and a competitive selection process.

An expert in the field, Li is recognized by AAP for his work in cancer immunology and immunotherapy. He and his research team have made pivotal contributions to understanding the immunological properties of heat shock proteins in cancer immunotherapy and immune tolerance. He was specifically cited for establishing the roles of GP96/GRP94 in immunity and cancer. He also uncovered the roles of TGFbeta-GARP axis on platelets in immuno-tolerance as well as discovered CNPY2 as a key initiator of the unfolded protein response.

Li serves as chair of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina and is co-leader of the Cancer Immunology Research Program at Hollings Cancer Center, South Carolina's only NCI-designated Cancer Center. A board-certified medical oncologist specializing in bone marrow and blood stem cell transplantation, Li is the South Carolina SmartState Center of Economic Excellence Sally Abney Rose Chair in Stem Cell Biology & Therapy.

"I am excited and honored to be a member of the Association for American Physicians and to have the opportunity to learn from the best and brightest physician scientists in the world," he said.

Nominations which are only accepted from AAP members, are determined by the nominee's advancement of medical knowledge through translational science. Inductees were recognized at the annual joint meeting for physician scientists April 20 through 22 in Chicago.