Yun Li, BS

PhD Candidate
Biography

Mentor: Michael Wendt, PhD

 

Comprehensive Exam:

Understanding Arap3’s Role in Promoting Basal-Like Breast Cancer Metastasis

 

Research:

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and its lethality lies in its ability to metastasize. While patients with localized tumors have a nearly 100% five-year survival rate, this falls to ~30% once metastasis occurs. Basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is particularly aggressive, affecting younger women, resisting therapies, and metastasizing early. Despite much research, mechanisms driving BLBC metastasis and treatment failure remain unclear.

My research addresses this gap through two focuses. First, I study Arap3, a molecular “switch” regulating cell movement and the tumor microenvironment. We found Arap3 highly active in metastatic cells, and patients with elevated levels show worse outcomes. I aim to define how Arap3 remodels the actin cytoskeleton and surrounding environment to promote spread. Second, I investigate therapeutic resistance in EGFR-driven BLBC. Our lab discovered that metastatic cells switch from EGFR to HER2 signaling after EGF stimulation, a process effectively suppressed by the HER2 inhibitor Tucatinib. I seek to define the molecular basis and clinical significance of this EGFR-HER2 shift.

In the long term, my goal is to become an independent researcher dedicated to understanding and treating metastatic breast cancer.

 

Award:

2026 Post-Comprehensive Fellowship

 

Publication:

  • Andolino C, Cotul EK, Xianyu Z, Li Y*, Bhat D, Ayers M, Buhman KK, Hursting SD, Wendt MK, Teegarden D. Fatty acid synthase-derived lipid stores support breast cancer metastasis. Cancer Metab. 2025 Jul 10;13(1):35.

 

Presentations:

  • May 2025 - Poster "Understanding the EGFR signaling function in metastatic breast cancer." 10th Annual Midwest Tumor Microenvironment Conference, Minneapolis, MN, US
  • June 2025 - Poster "Understanding the EGFR signaling function in metastatic breast cancer." Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Scientific Retreat

 

Service:

  • Summer 2025 - Mentor, Cancer Research Opportunities at Iowa (CROI) undergraduate program, peer mentor
  • 2025-2026 - Peer Advisor Leader, Biomedical Science Program PAL program for 1st year PhD students

 

Yun Li
Education
BS Fudan University, China