Academic Appointments

  • Assistant Professor, Chemical and Systems Biology

Professional Education

  • Postdoc, Whitehead Institute & MIT, Pulin Li
  • PhD, UC Berkeley, Molecular Cell Biology (2019)
  • AB, Princeton University, Molecular Biology (2013)

Links

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

I am interested in understanding how interactions between signaling proteins and the extracellular matrix affect the function and evolution of animal signaling networks. My work touches on many themes in animal biology, including developmental biology, immunology, aging and metabolism.

2026-27 Courses

Stanford Advisees

  • Doctoral Dissertation Advisor (AC)
    Francesca Day, Patricia Shi

All Publications

  • Mechanistic trade-offs between local and long-range signaling activity in natural and synthetic morphogens. Science advances Schlissel, G., Hansen, A. S., Li, P. 2026; 12 (37): eaef4578

    Abstract

    Hedgehog family morphogens present an interesting paradox: Despite being hydrophobic because of dual-lipid modifications, they form spatial concentration gradients that are highly conserved and essential for many aspects of metazoan development. Using live-cell single-molecule tracking and engineered synthetic signaling ligands, we isolated the distinct contribution of each lipid modification to Hedgehog diffusion and signaling potency. We found that although both lipid modifications enhance signaling potency, they do so through different mechanisms. Palmitate directly promotes receptor engagement, whereas cholesterol topologically confines secreted morphogens on the cell surface, effectively using the lipid membrane as a nonsignaling co-receptor that enriches ligands locally at the cost of restricting long-range diffusion. Our results on the function of cholesterol point to an intrinsic trade-off between signaling potency and gradient formation, with implications for the evolution and mechanism of nonsignaling co-receptors.

    View details for DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aef4578

    View details for PubMedID 42715296