Q&A with Kan Li: Applying Lessons From Parenthood to Drug Discovery Research
August 14, 2026Kan Li, a PhD candidate at Rutgers University, is researching therapeutic targets for enteroviruses, which can cause illnesses ranging from cold-like symptoms to serious neurological complications, particularly in children.
Becoming a father made Kan Li a better scientist. The birth of his son six months ago not only reinforced the importance of his work to develop novel medicines for viruses that mainly affect children, but it also taught him how to better balance his work and home life.
“Sometimes I spent hours in the lab and then I went home and spent a night taking care of the newborn,” Li said. “It taught me to be patient, be resilient and keep calm when things didn’t go as expected. I believe those qualities are as valuable in research as they are in parenting.”
As a PhD candidate in medicinal chemistry at Rutgers University, Li is applying these lessons to his research into therapeutic targets for enteroviruses, which can cause illnesses ranging from cold-like symptoms to serious neurological complications, particularly in children.
Li received a PhRMA Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Discovery for his work studying a viral protein called 2C, which enteroviruses need to reproduce. By developing drugs that target and degrade this protein, he hopes to stop the virus from spreading while reducing the risk of drug resistance.
Watch this video to learn more about Li’s career journey and his research.
