Epidemiology

Research Interests:

Cardiovascular disease epidemiology; obesity epidemiology; genetic epidemiology

Educational Background:

• PhD, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
• MPH, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
• MS, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
• MD, Peking University, Beijing, China
  

Professional Achievements:

• Travel grant, North American Association for Obesity Studies, New Orleans, LA, 2007
• Unilever Corporate Research Studentship, UK, 2007   
  
• American Federation for Medical Research Young Faculty Award, Southern Society, New Orleans, LA, 2004   
  
• American Federation for Medical Research Trainee Award, Southern Society, New Orleans, LA, 2003   
  
• Finalist, Population Studies, American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago, IL, 2002 
  

Selected Publications:

1.    Li S, Zhao JH, Luan J, Luben RN, Khaw KT, Wareham NJ, Loos RJF. Genetic predisposition to obesity leads to increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia 2011;54:776-782.

2.    Li S, Zhao JH, Luan J, Ekelund U, Luben RN, Khaw KT, Wareham NJ, Loos RJ. Physical activity attenuates the genetic predisposition to obesity in 20,000 men and women from EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study. PLoS Med 2010;7: e1000332.

3.    Li S, Zhao JH, Luan J, Luben RN, Bingham SA, Khaw KT, Ekelund U, Ong KK, Wareham NJ, Loos RJ. Cumulative effects and predictive value of common obesity-susceptibility variants identified by genome-wide association studies. Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 91:184-190.

4.    Ong KK, Elks CE, Li S, Zhao JH, Luan J, Andersen LB, Bingham SA, Brage S, Smith GD, Ekelund U, Gillson CJ, Glaser B, Golding J, Hardy R, Khaw KT, Kuh D, Luben R, Marcus M, McGeehin MA, Ness AR, Northstone K, Ring SM, Rubin C, Sims MA, Song K, Strachan DP, Vollenweider P, Waeber G, Waterworth DM, Wong A, Deloukas P, Barroso I, Mooser V, Loos RJ, Wareham NJ. Genetic variation in LIN28B is associated with the timing of puberty. Nat Genet 2009;41:729-733.

5.    Vimaleswaran KS, Li S, Zhao JH, Luan J, Bingham SA, Khaw KT, Ekelund U, Wareham NJ, Loos RJ. Physical activity attenuates the body mass index-increasing influence of genetic variation in the FTO gene. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;90:425-428.

6.    Willer CJ*, Speliotes EK*, Loos RJ*, Li S*, Lindgren CM, Heid IM, Berndt SI, Elliott AL, Jackson AU, Lamina C, Lettre G, Lim N, Lyon HN, McCarroll SA, Papadakis K, Qi L, Randall JC, Roccasecca RM, Sanna S, Scheet P, Weedon MN, Wheeler E, Zhao JH, Jacobs LC, Prokopenko I, Soranzo N, Tanaka T, Timpson NJ, Almgren P, Bennett A, Bergman RN, Bingham SA, Bonnycastle LL, Brown M, Burtt NP,  Chines P, Coin L, Collins FS, Connell JM, Cooper C, Smith GD, Dennison EM, Deodhar P, Elliott P,  Erdos MR, Estrada K, Evans DM, Gianniny L, Gieger C, Gillson CJ, Guiducci C, Hackett R, Hadley D, Hall AS, Havulinna AS, Hebebrand J, Hofman A, Isomaa B, Jacobs KB, Johnson T, Jousilahti P, Jovanovic Z, Khaw KT, Kraft P, Kuokkanen M, Kuusisto J, Laitinen J, Lakatta EG, Luan J, Luben RN, Mangino M, McArdle WL, Meitinger T, Mulas A, Munroe PB, Narisu N, Ness AR, Northstone K, O'Rahilly S, Purmann C, Rees MG, Ridderstråle M, Ring SM, Rivadeneira F, Ruokonen A, Sandhu MS, Saramies J, Scott LJ, Scuteri A, Silander K, Sims MA, Song K, Stephens J, Stevens S, Stringham HM, Tung YC, Valle TT, Van Duijn CM, Vimaleswaran KS, Vollenweider P, Waeber G, Wallace C, Watanabe RM, Waterworth DM, Watkins N; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, Witteman JC, Zeggini E, Zhai G, Zillikens MC, Altshuler D, Caulfield MJ, Chanock SJ, Farooqi IS, Ferrucci L, Guralnik JM, Hattersley AT, Hu FB, Jarvelin MR, Laakso M, Mooser V, Ong KK, Ouwehand WH, Salomaa V, Samani NJ, Spector TD, Tuomi T, Tuomilehto J, Uda M, Uitterlinden AG, Wareham NJ, Deloukas P, Frayling TM, Groop LC, Hayes RB, Hunter DJ, Mohlke KL, Peltonen L, Schlessinger D, Strachan DP, Wichmann HE, McCarthy MI, Boehnke M, Barroso I, Abecasis GR, Hirschhorn JN; Genetic Investigation of ANthropometric Traits Consortium. Six new loci associated with body mass index highlight a neuronal influence on body weight regulation. Nat Genet 2009;41:25-34 (*: These authors contributed equally).

7.    Weedon MN, Lango H, Lindgren CM, Wallace C, Evans DM, Mangino M, Freathy RM, Perry JR, Stevens S, Hall AS, Samani NJ, Shields B, Prokopenko I, Farrall M, Dominiczak A; Diabetes Genetics Initiative; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, Johnson T, Bergmann S, Beckmann JS, Vollenweider P, Waterworth DM, Mooser V, Palmer CN, Morris AD, Ouwehand WH; Cambridge GEM Consortium, Zhao JH, Li S, Loos RJ, Barroso I, Deloukas P, Sandhu MS, Wheeler E, Soranzo N, Inouye M, Wareham NJ, Caulfield M, Munroe PB, Hattersley AT, McCarthy MI, Frayling TM. Genome-wide association analysis identifies 20 loci that influence adult height. Nat Genet 2008;40:575-583.

8.    Loos RJ*, Lindgren CM*, Li S*, Wheeler E, Zhao JH, Prokopenko I, Inouye M, Freathy RM, Attwood AP, Beckmann JS, Berndt SI; Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, Jacobs KB, Chanock SJ, Hayes RB, Bergmann S, Bennett AJ, Bingham SA, Bochud M, Brown M, Cauchi S, Connell JM, Cooper C, Smith GD, Day I, Dina C, De S, Dermitzakis ET, Doney AS, Elliott KS, Elliott P, Evans DM, Sadaf Farooqi I, Froguel P, Ghori J, Groves CJ, Gwilliam R, Hadley D, Hall AS, Hattersley AT, Hebebrand J, Heid IM; KORA, Lamina C, Gieger C, Illig T, Meitinger T, Wichmann HE, Herrera B, Hinney A, Hunt SE, Jarvelin MR, Johnson T, Jolley JD, Karpe F, Keniry A, Khaw KT, Luben RN, Mangino M, Marchini J, McArdle WL, McGinnis R, Meyre D, Munroe PB, Morris AD, Ness AR, Neville MJ, Nica AC, Ong KK, O'Rahilly S, Owen KR, Palmer CN, Papadakis K, Potter S, Pouta A, Qi L; Nurses' Health Study, Randall JC, Rayner NW, Ring SM, Sandhu MS, Scherag A, Sims MA, Song K, Soranzo N, Speliotes EK; Diabetes Genetics Initiative, Syddall HE, Teichmann SA, Timpson NJ, Tobias JH, Uda M; SardiNIA Study, Vogel CI, Wallace C, Waterworth DM, Weedon MN; Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium, Willer CJ; FUSION, Wraight, Yuan X, Zeggini E, Hirschhorn JN, Strachan DP, Ouwehand WH, Caulfield MJ, Samani NJ, Frayling TM, Vollenweider P, Waeber G, Mooser V, Deloukas P, McCarthy MI, Wareham NJ, Barroso I, Jacobs KB, Chanock SJ, Hayes RB, Lamina C, Gieger C, Illig T, Meitinger T, Wichmann HE, Kraft P, Hankinson SE, Hunter DJ, Hu FB, Lyon HN, Voight BF, Ridderstrale M, Groop L, Scheet P, Sanna S, Abecasis GR, Albai G, Nagaraja R, Schlessinger D, Jackson AU, Tuomilehto J, Collins FS, Boehnke M, Mohlke KL. Common variants near MC4R are associated with fat mass, weight and risk of obesity. Nat Genet 2008;40:768-775. (*: These authors contributed equally).

9.    Li S, Loos RJ. Progress in the genetics of common obesity: size matters (review). Curr Opin Lipidol 2008;19:113-121.

10.    Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Li S, Xu J, Berenson GS. Clustering of long-term trends in metabolic syndrome variables from childhood to adulthood in Blacks and Whites: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Am J Epidemiol 2007;166:527-533.

11.    Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Tang R, Bond MG, Berenson GS. Race (black-white) and gender divergences in the relationship of childhood cardiovascular risk factors to carotid artery intima-media thickness in adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Atherosclerosis 2007;194:421-425.

12.    Berenson G, Srinivasan S, Chen W, Li S, Patel D; Bogalusa Heart Study Group. Racial (black-white) contrasts of risk for hypertensive disease in youth have implications for preventive care: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Ethn Dis 2006;16(3 Suppl 4):S4-2-9.

13.    Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Li S, Berenson GS. Different effects of atherogenic lipoproteins and blood pressure on arterial structure and function: the Bogalusa Heart Study. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2006;8:323-329.

14.    Chen W, Li S, Srinivasan SR, Boerwinkle E, Berenson GS. A genome scan for loci influencing levels and trends of lipoprotein lipid-related traits since childhood: The Bogalusa Heart Study. Atherosclerosis 2007;190:248-255.

15.    Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Boewinkle E, Berenson GS. Influence of the lipoprotein lipase gene Ser447Stop and the β-1 adrenergic receptor gene Arg389Gly polymorphisms and their interaction on adiposity from childhood to adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Int J Obes (Lond) 2006;30:1183-1188.

16.    Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Li S, Xu J, Berenson GS. Metabolic syndrome variables at low levels in childhood are beneficially associated with adulthood cardiovascular risk: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Diabetes Care 2005;28:126-131.

17.    Bhuiyan AR, Li S, Li H, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. Distribution and correlates of arterial compliance measures in asymptomatic young adults: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Am J Hypertens 2005;18:684-691.

18.    Gardner JP, Li S, Srinivasan SR, Chen W, Kimura M, Lu X, Berenson GS, Aviv A. Rise in insulin resistance is associated with escalated telomere attrition. Circulation 2005;111:2171-2177.

19.    Patel DA, Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Boerwinkle E, Berenson GS; Bogalusa Heart Study. G-6A polymorphism of the angiotensinogen gene and its association with left ventricular mass in asymptomatic young adults from a biethnic community: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Am J Hypertens 2005;18:1437-1441.

20.    Chen W, Li S, Srinivasan SR, Boerwinkle E, Berenson GS. Autosomal genome scan for loci linked to blood pressure levels and trends since childhood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Hypertension 2005;45:954-959.

21.    Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. Influence of metabolic syndrome on arterial stiffness and its age-related change in young adults. The Bogalusa Heart Study. Atherosclerosis 2005;180:349-354.

22.    Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. Childhood blood pressure as a predictor of arterial stiffness in young adults: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Hypertension 2004;43:541-546.

23.    Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Li S, Boerwinkle E, Berenson GS. Gender-specific influence of NO synthase gene on blood pressure since childhood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Hypertension 2004;44:668-673.

24.    Li X, Li S, Ulusoy E, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. Childhood adiposity as a predictor of cardiac mass in adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Circulation 2004;110:3488-3492.

25.    Srinivasan SR, Li S, Chen W, Tang R, Bond MG, Boerwinkle E, Berenson GS. Q192R polymorphism of the paraoxanase 1 gene and its association with serum lipoprotein variables and carotid artery intima-media thickness in young adults from a biracial community. The Bogalusa Heart Study. Atherosclerosis 2004;177:167-174.

26.    Chen W, Li S, Cook NR, Rosner BA, Srinivasan SR, Boerwinkle E, Berenson GS. An autosomal genome scan for loci influencing longitudinal burden of body mass index from childhood to young adulthood in white sibships: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004;28:462-469.

27.    Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Li S, Boerwinkle E, Berenson GS. Gender-specific influence of NO synthase gene on blood pressure since childhood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Hypertension 2004;44:668-673.

28.    Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Bond MG, Tang R, Urbina EM, Berenson GS. Childhood cardiovascular risk factors and carotid vascular changes in adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. JAMA 2003;290:2271-2276.

29.    Srinivasan SR, Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Boewinkle E, Berenson GS. R219K polymorphism of the ABCA1 gene and its modulation of the variations in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides related to age and adiposity in white versus black young adults. The Bogalusa Heart Study. Metabolism 2003;52:930-934.

30.    Li S, Chen W, Srinivasan SR, Boewinkle E, Berenson GS. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ2 gene polymorphism Pro12Ala beneficially influences insulin resistance and its tracking from childhood to adulthood. The Bogalusa Heart Study. Diabetes 2003; 52:1265-1269. 

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