Dr. Li's laboratory studies genetic mutations that cause tumors, particularly those that control the timing and process of cell death. Many tumor cells are abnormally resistant to programmed cell death (apoptosis), causing uncontrolled growth of cancer. Thus, restoring the aberrant apoptosis pathways in tumor cells might render tumor cells more susceptible to stress conditions and subsequent cell death. The Li laboratory focuses on exploring novel strategies for cancer therapy by activating the cell death pathway directly in lung tumor cells, which could potentially lead to the development of new anti-tumor drugs.