Li Ma, Ph.D.

Li Ma

Postdoctoral Fellow – Fellowship Trainee
Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

2250 Alcazar St.
CSA 121E – HSC 9062
Los Angeles, CA 90033-9062
Phone: (323) 442-3187
Fax: (323) 442-2981
lma740@usc.edu

Education
Experience
Publications

Agricultural University of Hebei, Baoding, Hebei, China
B.S., 2010
Biotechnology

China Agricultural University, Haidian, Beijing, China
Ph.D., 2016
Genetics

  • 2021 – present – Postdoctoral Fellow – Fellowship Trainee – Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2017 – 2021 – Postdoctoral Scholar – Research Associate – Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
  • 2016 – 2017 – Postdoctoral Fellow – Department of Genetics, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

  1. Zhang W, Zhang M, Ma L, Jariyasakulroj S, Chang Q, Lin Z, Lu Z, Chen JF. Impaired phase separation and nucleolar functions in hiPSC models of SNORD118-related ribosomopathies. iScience, Volume 27, Issue 8, 2024, 110430, ISSN 2589-0042, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110430.

  2. Pei F, Guo T, Zhang M, Ma L, Jing J, Feng J, Ho T-V, Wen Q, Chai Y. FGF signaling modulates mechanotransduction/WNT signaling in progenitors during tooth root development. Bone Res 12, 37 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41413-024-00345-5.

  3. Zhang W, Zhang M, Ma L, Jariyasakulroj S, Chang Q, Lin Z, Lu Z, Chen JF. Recapitulating and reversing human brain ribosomopathy defects via the maladaptive integrated stress response. Sci Adv. 2024 Feb 2;10(5):eadk1034. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adk1034. Epub 2024 Feb 2. PMID: 38306425; PMCID: PMC10836730.

  4. Ma L, Wang F, Li Y, Wang J, Chang Q, Du Y, Sadan J, Zhao Z, Fan G, Yao B, Chen JF. (2023) Brain methylome remodeling selectively regulates neuronal activity genes linking to emotional behaviors in mice exposed to maternal immune activation. Nat Commun. 2023 Nov 29;14(1):7829. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43497-4. PMID: 38030616; PMCID: PMC10687003.

  5. Pei F, Ma L, Guo T, Zhang M, Jing J, Wen Q, Feng J, Lei J, He J, Janečková E, Ho TV, Chen JF, Chai Y. (2023) Sensory nerve regulates progenitor cells via FGF-SHH axis in tooth root morphogenesis. Development. 2024 Jan 15;151(2):dev202043. doi: 10.1242/dev.202043. Epub 2024 Jan 11. PMID: 38108472.

  6. Ma, L., Chang, Q., Pei, F., Liu, M., Zhang, W., Hong, Y-K., Chai, Y., Chen, JF. (2023) Skull progenitor cell-driven meningeal lymphatic restoration improves neurocognitive functions in craniosynostosis, Cell Stem Cell (2023), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2023.09.012.

  7. Pei F, Ma L, Jing J, Feng J, Yuan Y, Guo T, Han X, Ho TV, Lei J, He J, Zhang M, Chen JF, Chai Y. (2023) Sensory nerve niche regulates mesenchymal stem cell homeostasis via FGF/mTOR/autophagy axis. Nat Commun. 2023 Jan 20;14(1):344. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-35977-4. PMID: 36670126; PMCID: PMC9859800.

  8. Ma L, Liang C, Wang J, Chang Q, Wang Y, Zhang W, Du Y, Sadan J, Chen JF. (2022) Reversing lysosome-ribosome circuit dysregulation mitigates C9FTD/ALS neurodegeneration and behaviors. Hum Mol Genet. 2023 Apr 6;32(8):1252-1265. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddac271. PMID: 36322143; PMCID: PMC10077508.

  9. Yu M, Ma L, Yuan Y, Ye X, Montagne A, He J, Ho TV, Wu Y, Zhao Z, Sta Maria N, Jacobs R, Urata M, Wang H, Zlokovic BV, Chen JF, Chai Y. (2021) Cranial Suture Regeneration Mitigates Skull and Neurocognitive Defects in Craniosynostosis. Cell. 2021 Jan 7;184(1):243-256.e18. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.037. PMID: 33417861; PMCID: PMC7891303.

  10. Ma L, Wang J, Ge J, Wang Y, Zhang W, Du Y, Luo J, Li Y, Wang F, Fan G, Chen R, Yao B, Zhao Z, Guo ML, Kim WK, Chai Y, Chen JF. (2021) Reversing neural circuit and behavior deficit in mice exposed to maternal inflammation by Zika virus. EMBO Rep. 2021 Aug 4;22(8):e51978. doi: 10.15252/embr.202051978. Epub 2021 Jul 7. PMID: 34232545; PMCID: PMC8344882.

  11. Zhang W, Ma L, Yang M, Shao Q, Xu J, Lu Z, Zhao Z, Chen R, Chai Y, Chen JF. (2020) Cerebral organoid and mouse models reveal a RAB39b-PI3K-mTOR pathway-dependent dysregulation of cortical development leading to macrocephaly/autism phenotypes. Genes Dev. 2020 Apr 1;34(7-8):580-597. doi: 10.1101/gad.332494.119. Epub 2020 Feb 27. PubMed PMID: 32115408; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7111266.

  12. Shao Q, Yang M, Liang C, Ma L, Zhang W, Jiang Z, Luo J, Lee JK, Liang C, Chen JF. (2020) C9orf72 and smcr8 mutant mice reveal MTORC1 activation due to impaired lysosomal degradation and exocytosis. Autophagy. 2020 Sep;16(9):1635-1650. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2019.1703353. Epub 2019 Dec 26. PMID: 31847700; PMCID: PMC8386604.

  13. Herrlinger SA, Shao Q, Ma L, Brindley M, Chen JF. (2018) Establishing Mouse Models for Zika Virus-induced Neurological Disorders Using Intracerebral Injection Strategies: Embryonic, Neonatal, and Adult. J Vis Exp. 2018 Apr 26;(134). doi:10.3791/56486. PubMed PMID: 29757270; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6035874.

  14. Ma L, Qin T, Chu D, Cheng X, Wang J, Wang X, Wang P, Han H, Ren L, Aitken R, Hammarström L, Li N, Zhao Y. (2016) Internal Duplications of DH, JH, and C Region Genes Create an Unusual IgH Gene Locus in Cattle. J Immunol. 2016 May 15;196(10):4358-66. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600158. Epub 2016 Apr 6. PubMed PMID: 27053761.

  15. Han B, Yuan H, Wang T, Li B, Ma L, Yu S, Huang T, Li Y, Fang D, Chen X, Wang Y, Qiu S, Guo Y, Fei J, Ren L, Pan-Hammarström Q, Hammarström L, Wang J, Wang J, Hou Y, Pan Q, Xu X, Zhao Y. (2016) Multiple IgH Isotypes Including IgD, Subclasses of IgM, and IgY Are Expressed in the Common Ancestors of Modern Birds. J Immunol. 2016 Jun 15;196(12):5138-47. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1600307. Epub 2016 May 16. PubMed PMID: 27183632.

  16. Guan X, Wang J, Ma L, Wang X, Cheng X, Han H, Zhao Y, Ren L. (2016) Multiple germline functional VL genes contribute to the IgL repertoire in ducks. Dev Comp Immunol. 2016 Jul;60:167-79. doi: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.02.029. Epub 2016 Mar 3. PubMed PMID: 26945621.