Zhangli Su obtained her Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she focused on investigating the relationship between chromatin-reading modules and histone modifications in John Denu’s lab.

Following that, she pursued postdoctoral training in non-coding RNAs under the mentorship of Anindya Dutta at University of Virginia. During this time, she characterized the role of tRNA cleavage in stress response and the gene regulatory functions of tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) by integrated -omics datasets.

Her current research, which is supported by a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from National Cancer Institute (NCI), revolves around small RNA modifications in glioma and their impact on gene expression. Zhangli has developed a novel genomics pipeline that enables the identification and mapping of RNA modification sites in small RNAs. Through her findings, she has revealed that m1A modification negatively affects the gene-silencing activity of small RNAs. Moreover, cancer cells could exploit this mechanism to up-regulate pathways necessary for survival, which may become druggable targets for future studies.

To investigate these emerging RNA modifications, her research program combines wet-lab experiments with bioinformatics analysis, aiming to unravel the molecular mechanism of how RNA modifications contribute to pathogenesis, with particular emphasis on cancer biology. Her research also explores how these RNA modifications respond to endogenous and environmental stimuli, as well as their role in regulating RNA metabolism and signaling in cancers.

Looking forward, Zhangli is excited to join the Genetics department, and is particularly thrilled to join the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, where she hopes to establish new collaborations with the shared objective of developing innovative strategies for cancer detection, prevention and treatment.