NIMBB Forums: Functional genomics for target identification – an industry perspective

The first webinar of the series will be given by NIMBB alumna, Dr. Sheena Li, on December 4, 2023 (Monday), 9 AM (Manila time).

 

Dr. Sheena Li is an expert in molecular biology, functional genomics and drug discovery. She obtained her B.S. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (cum laude) from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2004, and her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from SUNY – Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York (USA) in 2011. She undertook postdoctoral research in the laboratories of Dr. Charles Boone, Dr. Brenda Andrews, and Dr. Minoru Yoshida at the University of Toronto (Canada) and the RIKEN Institute (Japan), respectively, where she established a high throughput chemical genetic screening platform for target identification in budding yeast. This functional genomics-based screening method links compounds to their targets within the cell using novel yeast mutant collections. At RIKEN, she received a Foreign Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (FPR) and the 9th RIKEN Researcher Incentive Award in 2018. Her academic work has resulted in dozens of publications and more than 2,300 citations. After her postdoctoral research, Dr. Li became Principal Scientist at Yumanity Therapeutics in Boston. Currently, Dr. Li is a Principal Scientist at Hexagon Bio in the heart of Silicon Valley, where she leads the company’s genetic screening group for target identification and validation of potential anti-cancer and antifungal drugs derived from natural products.