Li Tang

2022- Associate Professor (with tenure), Institute of Bioengineering (IBI) / Institute of Materials Sci & Eng (IMX) EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
2016-2022 Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Institute of Bioengineering (IBI) / Institute of Materials Sci & Eng (IMX) École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
2013-2016 CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow, The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research
MassachusettsInstitute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA
2007-2012 Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, IL, USA.
2003-2007 B.S., Chemistry
Peking University (PKU), Beijing, China

Current work

Our immune system is constantly defending us from many diseases through profound interactions with invaders or diseased cells. Such interactions are multi-dimensional, meaning that extensive biological, chemical, and physical exchanges are involved. With that in mind, the team of Tang Laboratory is developing novel strategies to engineer such multi-dimensional immunity-disease interactions from various aspects, an emerging field called ‘immunoengineering’, in order to create safe and effective therapies against cancer.

Awards

2025 : Friedrich Miescher Award : Life Sciences Switzerland (LS2)

2018 : European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant : European Research Council

2020 : MIT TR 35 Innovators Under 35 of China Region

2018 : Nano Research Young Innovator Award

2019 : Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigator

2020 : Materials Horizons Emerging Investigator

Publications

Selected publications

Nature	The type 2 cytokine Fc–IL-4 revitalizes exhausted CD8 T cells against cancer
Nature	Single-cell CAR T atlas reveals type2 function in 8-year leukemia remission
Nature Biotechnology	IL-10-expressing CAR T cells resist dysfunction and mediate durable clearance of solid tumors and metastases
Nature Immunology	Metabolic reprogramming of terminally exhausted CD8 T cells by IL-10 enhances anti-tumor immunity
Nature Biomedical Engineering	Cancer-cell stiffening via cholesterol depletion enhances adoptive T-cell immunotherapy
Science Advances	Switchable immune modulator for tumor-specific activation of anticancer immunity
Nature Biotechnology	Enhancing T cell therapy through TCR-signaling-responsive nanoparticle drug delivery
Nature Nanotechnology	Evidence and therapeutic implications of biomechanically regulated immunosurveillance in cancer and other diseases

Research

https://www.epfl.ch/labs/tang-lab/page-137845-en-html/

Teaching & PhD

Teaching

Materials Science and Engineering

Life Sciences Engineering

PhD Students

Ben Sayed Nadia Yasmina, Bonati Lucia, Enbar Tom, Li Rongrong, Li Weilin, Tinguely Yann,

Past EPFL PhD Students

Gao Min , Hu Xiaomeng , Kurum Armand , Lei Kewen , Prange Céline Jasmin , Wei Lixia , Xie Yuqing , Zhao Yang ,

Courses

Practical - Tang Lab

In this course, the students will learn the basics skills in cancer immunotherapy and immunoengineering. Open to 4 students.

Immunoengineering

Immunoengineering is an emerging field where engineering principles are grounded in immunology. This course provides students a broad overview of how engineering approaches can be utilized to study immunology, model immune systems, modulate immune response, and develop novel immunotherapies.

Next-generation biomaterials

"Next-Generation Biomaterials" explores the latest advancements in the development and application of cutting-edge biomaterials for medical and healthcare innovation.