Division Chief
The Division of Medical Engineering was birthed in late 2018 at WMed. Together, we propose to conjugate multiple life sciences with mechanical or biomedical engineering science to team up for medical demand. The cross-board scientific dialogues and collaborations are able to promote innovative science in research and education, as well as integrate potential new therapeutic methods to help solve problems and care for patients who suffer from medical diseases or injuries. This work is being accomplished at the medical school through a larger collaborative effort in medical engineering between WMed and Western Michigan University.
Yong Li, MD, PhD leads the Division of Medical Engineering and brings to bear more than 20 years of research experience in the fields of fibrosis, stem cell, and regenerative medicine. In his academic career, Dr. Li was appointed as a research assistant professor in 2002 and promoted to director of the molecular pathology laboratory and a tenure-track assistant professor of Orthopedics, Pathology, and Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh in 2005. In 2011, he was appointed laboratory director and associate professor in the Center Stem Cell for Regenerative Medicine and Pediatric, Orthopedic and Internal Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. Among other leadership roles, he served as a deputy director and senior scientist in the Center for Regenerative Sports Medicine at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado. At WMed, Dr. Li serves as professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Through his research and work in his lab at WMed, Dr. Li is playing a pivotal role in bringing innovations from the bench to the bedside. Dr. Li works closely with the departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Surgery, as well as other faculty and students at Western Michigan University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, to develop translational research projects that will lead to better processes and devices, and improve patient care.