Yuqing Li, PhD
Professor Of Neurology And Neuroscience
Department:
MD-NEUROLOGY-MOVEMENT DISORDER
Business Phone:
(352) 273-6546
Business Email:
yuqingli@ufl.edu
About Yuqing Li
Dr. Yuqing Li joined the Department of Neurology in November of 2010 as a Professor. Dr. Li was recruited to the University of Florida by collaborating with Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure. His laboratory aims to unlock DYT-1 dystonia and to develop symptomatic therapies and cure approaches. Dr. Li is funded by multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health. Before the current position, Dr. Li served as Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurobiology in the Department of Neurology and Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Li served as an Assistant Professor with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with his research in genetic analysis of neural development plasticity and animal models neurodevelopmental disorders. He was appointed Lucille P. Markey Assistant Professor of Molecular and Developmental Neuroscience in the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Center for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He received his Ph.D. in Biology from Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan, and completed his Master of Science Training in molecular biology from Fudan University, China. He also obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Fudan University, China.
Teaching Profile
Courses Taught
2011-2020
GMS6029 Brain Journal Club
2018
CHM7979 Advanced Research
2018
GMS7980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation
2021
BSC4910 Individual Mentored Research in Biology
2022-2023
GMS6905 Independent Studies in Medical Sciences
2023-2024
GMS6090 Research in Medical Sciences
2024
GMS6971 Research for Master’s Thesis
Research Profile
Dr. Li’s research is mainly focused on the pathophysiology and experimental therapeutics of dystonia, restless legs syndrome, ALS/FTD, and Alzheimer’s disease. He is also broadly interested in animal models of movement disorders and molecular and cellular mechanisms of motor control circuits. His lab’s expertise is in performing genetic manipulations in mice where specific neurons or circuits in the brain are altered during an animal’s lifespan. Dr. Li’s lab applies a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the mice, including genetic, biochemical, electrophysiological, behavioral, machine learning, and artificial intelligence techniques, to understand the pathogenesis of neurological disorders and develop an effective treatment.
Areas of Interest
- ALS
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Dystonia
- FTD
- Restless legs syndrome
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
0000-0003-1211-5529
Publications
2023
Cell-specific Dyt1 ∆GAG knock-in to basal ganglia and cerebellum reveal differential effects on motor behavior and sensorimotor network function
Experimental Neurology.
367
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114471.
2023
Editorial: The punctual night knocker: circadian rhythm of restless legs syndrome.
Frontiers in neurology.
14
[DOI] 10.3389/fneur.2023.1358722.
[PMID] 38259661.
2023
Review of the role of the endogenous opioid and melanocortin systems in the restless legs syndrome
Brain.
[DOI] 10.1093/brain/awad283.
2022
Consensus guidelines on the construct validity of rodent models of restless legs syndrome
Disease Models & Mechanisms.
15(8)
[DOI] 10.1242/dmm.049615.
2022
Electrophysiological Characterization of the Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons in Dyt1 ΔGAG Knock-In Mice
Dystonia.
1
[DOI] 10.3389/dyst.2022.10557.
2022
Exploring the role of the endogenous opiate system in the pathogenesis of anemia in an opiate receptor knock-out model of Restless Legs Syndrome
Medical Hypotheses.
167
[DOI] 10.1016/j.mehy.2022.110941.
2022
Further studies on the role of BTBD9 in the cerebellum, sleep-like behaviors and the restless legs syndrome.
Neuroscience.
505:78-90
[DOI] 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.10.008.
[PMID] 36244636.
2022
Hyperactivity of Purkinje cell and motor deficits in C9orf72 knockout mice.
Molecular and cellular neurosciences.
121
[DOI] 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103756.
[PMID] 35843530.
2022
Motor deficit and lack of overt dystonia in Dlx conditional Dyt1 knockout mice
Behavioural Brain Research.
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114221.
2022
Putative Animal Models of Restless Legs Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Evaluation of Their Face and Construct Validity.
Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics.
20(1):154-178
[DOI] 10.1007/s13311-022-01334-4.
[PMID] 36536233.
2022
Rhes protein transits from neuron to neuron and facilitates mutant huntingtin spreading in the brain
Science Advances.
8(12)
[DOI] 10.1126/sciadv.abm3877.
[PMID] 35319973.
2021
Alteration of the cholinergic system and motor deficits in cholinergic neuron-specific Dyt1 knockout mice.
Neurobiology of disease.
154
[DOI] 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105342.
[PMID] 33757902.
2021
Cell-specific effects of Dyt1 knock-out on sensory processing, network-level connectivity, and motor deficits.
Experimental neurology.
343
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113783.
[PMID] 34119482.
2021
Characterization of the direct pathway in Dyt1 ΔGAG heterozygous knock-in mice and dopamine receptor 1-expressing-cell-specific Dyt1 conditional knockout mice
Behavioural Brain Research.
411
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113381.
[PMID] 34038798.
2021
Reversal of motor-skill transfer impairment by trihexyphenidyl and reduction of dorsolateral striatal cholinergic interneurons in Dyt1 ΔGAG knock-in mice.
IBRO neuroscience reports.
11:1-7
[DOI] 10.1016/j.ibneur.2021.05.003.
[PMID] 34189496.
2020
BTBD9 and dopaminergic dysfunction in the pathogenesis of restless legs syndrome
Brain Structure & Function.
225(6):1-18
[DOI] 10.1007/s00429-020-02090-x.
[PMID] 32468214.
2020
Consensus Guidelines on Rodent Models of Restless Legs Syndrome
Movement Disorders.
36(3):558-569
[DOI] 10.1002/mds.28401.
[PMID] 33382140.
2020
Decreased number of striatal cholinergic interneurons and motor deficits in dopamine receptor 2-expressing-cell-specific Dyt1 conditional knockout mice
Neurobiology of Disease.
134
[DOI] 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104638.
[PMID] 31618684.
2020
Deficiency of Meis1, a transcriptional regulator, in mice and worms: Neurochemical and behavioral characterizations with implications in the restless legs syndrome
Journal of Neurochemistry.
155(5):522-537
[DOI] 10.1111/jnc.15177.
[PMID] 32910473.
2020
Mu opioid receptor knockout mouse: Phenotypes with implications on restless legs syndrome
Journal of Neuroscience Research.
98(8):1532-1548
[DOI] 10.1002/jnr.24637.
[PMID] 32424971.
2020
Probing the relationship between BTBD9 and MEIS1 in C. elegans and mouse
Experimental Results.
1
[DOI] 10.1017/exp.2020.12.
[PMID] 34268480.
2020
The abnormal firing of Purkinje cells in the knockin mouse model of DYT1 dystonia
Brain research bulletin.
165:14-22
[DOI] 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2020.09.011.
[PMID] 32976982.
2020
The role of BTBD9 in the cerebellum, sleep-like behaviors and the restless legs syndrome
Neuroscience.
440:85-96
[DOI] 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.05.021.
[PMID] 32446853.
2020
The role of BTBD9 in the cerebral cortex and the pathogenesis of restless legs syndrome
Experimental Neurology.
323
[DOI] 10.1016/j.expneurol.2019.113111.
[PMID] 31715135.
2019
Hyperactivity, dopaminergic abnormalities, iron deficiency and anemia in an in vivo opioid receptors knockout mouse: Implications for the restless legs syndrome
Behavioural brain research.
374
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112123.
[PMID] 31376441.
2019
Improved survival and overt “dystonic” symptoms in a torsinA hypofunction mouse model
Behavioural brain research.
381
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112451.
[PMID] 31891745.
2019
Neuropeptide S Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment of APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice by Promoting Synaptic Plasticity and Reducing Aβ Deposition
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.
13
[DOI] 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00138.
[PMID] 31293402.
2019
The Role of BTBD9 in Striatum and Restless Legs Syndrome
eneuro.
6(5):ENEURO.0277-19.2019
[DOI] 10.1523/eneuro.0277-19.2019.
2018
Cell-Specific Deletion of PGC-1α from Medium Spiny Neurons Causes Transcriptional Alterations and Age-Related Motor Impairment.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.
38(13):3273-3286
[DOI] 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0848-17.2018.
[PMID] 29491012.
2018
Differential Dopamine D1 and D3 Receptor Modulation and Expression in the Spinal Cord of Two Mouse Models of Restless Legs Syndrome
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.
12
[DOI] 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00199.
[PMID] 30233336.
2018
Mutant torsinA in the heterozygous DYT1 state compromises HSV propagation in infected neurons and fibroblasts.
Scientific reports.
8(1)
[DOI] 10.1038/s41598-018-19865-2.
[PMID] 29396398.
2017
A Role for Dystonia-Associated Genes in Spinal GABAergic Interneuron Circuitry.
Cell reports.
21(3):666-678
[DOI] 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.09.079.
[PMID] 29045835.
2017
Animal models of RLS phenotypes
Sleep Medicine.
31:23-28
[DOI] 10.1016/j.sleep.2016.08.002.
[PMID] 27839945.
2016
Electromyographic evidence in support of a knock-in mouse model of DYT1 Dystonia.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.
31(11):1633-1639
[DOI] 10.1002/mds.26677.
[PMID] 27241685.
2016
Striatopallidal Neuron NMDA Receptors Control Synaptic Connectivity, Locomotor, and Goal-Directed Behaviors
The Journal of Neuroscience.
36(18):4976-4992
[DOI] 10.1523/jneurosci.2717-15.2016.
2015
Correction: Behavioral and electrophysiological characterization of Dyt1 heterozygous knockout mice.
PloS one.
10(4)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0126539.
[PMID] 25874703.
2015
Decreased dopamine receptor 1 activity and impaired motor-skill transfer in Dyt1 ΔGAG heterozygous knock-in mice.
Behavioural brain research.
279:202-10
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.11.037.
[PMID] 25451552.
2013
Ablation of TrkB expression in RGS9-2 cells leads to hyperphagic obesity.
Molecular metabolism.
2(4):491-7
[DOI] 10.1016/j.molmet.2013.08.002.
[PMID] 24327964.
2013
Engineering animal models of dystonia.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.
28(7):990-1000
[DOI] 10.1002/mds.25583.
[PMID] 23893455.
2013
Pre-synaptic release deficits in a DYT1 dystonia mouse model.
PloS one.
8(8)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0072491.
[PMID] 23967309.
2012
Abnormal nuclear envelope in the cerebellar Purkinje cells and impaired motor learning in DYT11 myoclonus-dystonia mouse models.
Behavioural brain research.
227(1):12-20
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.10.024.
[PMID] 22040906.
2012
Abnormal Nuclear Envelopes in the Striatum and Motor Deficits in Dyt11 Myoclonus-Dystonia Mouse Models
Human Molecular Genetics.
21(4):916-925
[DOI] 10.1093/hmg/ddr528.
[PMID] 22080833.
2012
Alteration of striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission in a mouse model of DYT11 myoclonus-dystonia.
PloS one.
7(3)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0033669.
[PMID] 22438980.
2012
An anticholinergic reverses motor control and corticostriatal LTD deficits in Dyt1 ΔGAG knock-in mice.
Behavioural brain research.
226(2):465-72
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.10.002.
[PMID] 21995941.
2012
Cholinergic dysregulation produced by selective inactivation of the dystonia-associated protein torsinA.
Neurobiology of disease.
47(3):416-27
[DOI] 10.1016/j.nbd.2012.04.015.
[PMID] 22579992.
2012
Forebrain glutamatergic neurons mediate leptin action on depression-like behaviors and synaptic depression.
Translational psychiatry.
2
[DOI] 10.1038/tp.2012.9.
[PMID] 22408745.
2012
Improved motor performance in Dyt1 ΔGAG heterozygous knock-in mice by cerebellar Purkinje-cell specific Dyt1 conditional knocking-out.
Behavioural brain research.
230(2):389-98
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.02.029.
[PMID] 22391119.
2011
Altered dendritic morphology of Purkinje cells in Dyt1 ΔGAG knock-in and purkinje cell-specific Dyt1 conditional knockout mice.
PloS one.
6(3)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0018357.
[PMID] 21479250.
2011
Characterization of Atp1a3 mutant mice as a model of rapid-onset dystonia with parkinsonism.
Behavioural brain research.
216(2):659-65
[DOI] 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.09.009.
[PMID] 20850480.
2011
Motor deficits and decreased striatal dopamine receptor 2 binding activity in the striatum-specific Dyt1 conditional knockout mice.
PloS one.
6(9)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0024539.
[PMID] 21931745.
2010
Chemical enhancement of torsinA function in cell and animal models of torsion dystonia.
Disease models & mechanisms.
3(5-6):386-96
[DOI] 10.1242/dmm.003715.
[PMID] 20223934.
2010
Earlier onset of motor deficits in mice with double mutations in Dyt1 and Sgce.
Journal of biochemistry.
148(4):459-66
[DOI] 10.1093/jb/mvq078.
[PMID] 20627944.
2010
N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors on striatal neurons are essential for cocaine cue reactivity in mice.
Biological psychiatry.
67(8):778-80
[DOI] 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.12.023.
[PMID] 20149346.
2010
Postnatal NMDA receptor ablation in corticolimbic interneurons confers schizophrenia-like phenotypes.
Nature neuroscience.
13(1):76-83
[DOI] 10.1038/nn.2447.
[PMID] 19915563.
Further Studies on the Role of Btbd9 in the Cerebellum, Sleep-Like Behaviors and the Restless Legs Syndrome
SSRN Electronic Journal.
[DOI] 10.2139/ssrn.4187603.
Grants
Sep 2024
ACTIVE
Striatal Contribution to the Motor Symptoms and Aphasia in GRN-FTD
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIA
Sep 2022
ACTIVE
Pathophysiology of DYT1 dystonia: Targeted Mouse Models
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Mar 2021
– Mar 2024
Novel Therapy Development for Dystonia
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: US ARMY MED RES ACQUISITION
Nov 2020
– Nov 2022
Tyler's Hope for Dystonia cure
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UF FOUNDATION
Sep 2020
– Aug 2023
Characterization of Meis1 mutant mice and implications in restless legs syndrome and other sleep disorders
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Aug 2020
– Jul 2023
Characterization of the involvement of the cerebellum in animal models of C9orf72 ALS/FTD
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Sep 2018
– Jul 2024
Non-Invasive Markers of Neurodegeneration in Movement Disorders
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Jan 2016
– Dec 2018
Opioid System and Restless Syndrome: A Knockout Mouse Approach to Elucidate Its Role
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: MUNDIPHARMA RESEARCH LTD
Aug 2015
– Jul 2016
characterization of meisl heterozygous knockout mice
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME FOUNDATION
Jan 2014
– Mar 2020
Restless Legs Syndrome: Pathophysiology using Btbd9 Conditional Knockout Mice
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Jul 2011
– Dec 2016
Pathophysiology of DYT1 Dystonia: Targeted Mouse Models (R01 Replacement project)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UF FOUNDATION
May 2011
– Dec 2016
Characterization of epsilon-sarcoglycan interacting proteins in mouse brain (UFF Companion project to 00094399 R03)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UF FOUNDATION
May 2011
– Dec 2016
Molecular Etiology of Early Onset Torsion Dystonia (UFF Companion project to 00105729 P50)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UF FOUNDATION
May 2011
– Dec 2016
Rapid-onset Dystonia Parkinsonism (DYT12 Dystonia):Pathophysiology & Atp1a3 mice (Companion project to 00094395 R21 NS072872)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UF FOUNDATION
May 2011
– Dec 2016
Pathophysiology and Animal Model of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): Btbd9 Null Mice
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UF FOUNDATION
Education
Postdoctoral training
1996
·
MIT
PhD
1991
·
Nagoya University, Japan
BS
1984
·
Fudan University, China
Contact Details
Phones:
- Business:
- (352) 273-6546
Emails:
- Business:
- yuqingli@ufl.edu
Movement Disorders Administrative Support Assistant:
Addresses:
- Business Mailing:
-
PO BOX 100236
ACADEMIC RESEARCH BUILDING R4-120A
GAINESVILLE FL 326100236 - Business Street:
-
1200 Newell Drive
ARB R4-120A
GAINESVILLE FL 326100001