Li Named President of International Association of Pancreatology

OKLAHOMA CITY – Min Li, Ph.D., George Lynn Cross Research Professor of Medicine, Surgery and Cell Biology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and Associate Director for Global Oncology at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, has been named president of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP).

The IAP, established in 1985, works with national and regional societies to promote pancreatology throughout the world and to find new treatments for pancreatic disorders. The organization has more than 3,500 members, both basic scientists and clinical investigators, from 32 countries.

Li has dedicated his career to understanding the biology of pancreatic cancer and finding new answers for its treatment. He is also known as a scholar of cancer cachexia, a muscle-wasting condition that affects the majority of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

He said he looks forward to working with colleagues to advance research, education and innovation in pancreatology.

“It is a privilege to serve as president of the IAP,” Li said. “This role provides the opportunity to bring together experts from around the world to address the many challenges of pancreatic diseases. By strengthening international partnerships and sharing new discoveries, we can help shape the future of pancreatology for patients everywhere.”

Li has been with the OU College of Medicine since 2014. He has been awarded a significant amount of federal funding for his research and has published high-impact articles for several consecutive years in leading journals, including Cell, Cancer Cell, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), EMBO Molecular Medicine, Gastroenterology, Cancer Research, and Clinical Cancer Research.

“We are building a world-class basic science and translational research program in pancreatic cancer at OU,” he said. “This is an exciting time for pancreatic cancer research.”

Li is past president of the American Pancreatic Association, and he is editor-in-chief of the journal Cancer Letters. He holds the Virginia Kerley Cade Endowed Chair in Cancer Treatment at the OU College of Medicine, and he is Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Medicine. He also serves as Assistant Dean for International Research Collaboration in the College of Medicine.

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