Li Tang

EPFL STI IBI-STI LBI
MED 1 2826 (Bâtiment MED)
Station 9
1015 Lausanne

EPFL STI IMX-GE
MED 1 2826 (Bâtiment MED)
Station 9
1015 Lausanne

Expertise

Immunoengineering
Cancer immunotherapy 
Immune metabolism
Mechano-immunology
Biomaterials 

Mission

We engineer the immune system to durably defeat cancer and translate the discoveries into the clinic to benefit patients. 
2022-       Associate Professor, Institute of Bioengineering (IBI) / Institute of Materials Sci & Eng (IMX), School of Engineering, EPFL
2025-       Vice Dean for Innovation & Director of Innovate4Life Program, School of Life Sciences, EPFL
2021-        Co-founder, Leman Biotech

Professionals experiences

Assistant Professor

Lausanne, Switzerland

CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellow

The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Department of Biological Engineering / Materials Science and Engineering
Advisor: Darrell J. Irvine

Education

Materials Science and Engineering

| Urbana, IL, USA

2007 – 2012 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Directed by Jianjun Cheng

Chemistry

| Beijing, China

2003 – 2007 Peking University (PKU)

Awards

European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant

European Research Council (ERC)

2025

Highly Cited Researcher in the field of Cross-Field

Web of Science

2025

Stanisław Lem European Research Prize (Lem Prize)

Wrocław Tech

2025

Friedrich Miescher Award

Life Sciences Switzerland (LS2)

2025

Biomaterials Science Lectureship

Biomaterials Science

2025

Leenaards Prize for Translational Medical Research

Leenaards Foundation

2025

Biomaterials Award for Young Investigators

Biomaterials

2024

MIT TR 35 Innovators Under 35 of China Region

MIT Technology Review

2020

European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant

European Research Council

2018

Teaching & PhD

PhD Students

Rongrong Li, Nadia Yasmina Ben Sayed, Yunyi Zhou, Yann Tinguely, Weilin Li, Tom Enbar

Past EPFL PhD Students

Yuqing Xie, Kewen Lei, Yang Zhao, Min Gao, Xiaomeng Hu, Armand Kurum, Lucia Bonati

Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector

Lixia Wei, Céline Jasmin Prange

Courses

Concept to early-stage drug and medTech products

BIO-497

This course explores how innovative drugs and medical devices are brought to the market. Experts from leading companies share real-world insights and experiences. By the end, students gain a clear and practical understanding of the clinical, regulatory and quality aspects.

Immunoengineering

BIOENG-399

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

BIOENG-458

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

Practical - Tang Lab

BIO-603(TL)

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