2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Dr. Yi Li is a Professor in Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture at University of Connecticut. He received his BS (1982) from Beijing Forestry University and PhD (1989) from SUNY-Syracuse. His early career research focused on molecular regulation of plant hormones but now involves the application of moleculargenetics for horticultural crop improvement. Dr. Li has received over $8 million in competitive grant awards, published 85 research articles, and edited or contributed to nine books. His articles have been cited 3,088 with an H index of 32 and highlighted by “Faculty of 1000”. His early career discoveries are featured in seven plant biology textbooks and the book he edited on “Plant Biotechnology in Ornamental Horticulture" was rated “5 stars” by Dr. Lee Carlson, an unsolicited book reviewer.

Over the past 20 years he’s developed several commercially important technologies for horticultural crop improvement. “Gene-Deletor” was developed to mitigate environmental and food safety concerns over GMOs and holds great potential for application on asexually propagated species. This technology was reported on thousands of online and print media outlets worldwide. Dr. Li founded the New England Invasive Plant Center to combat habitat damage from non-native species, and he recently developed triploid cultivars of burning bush to eliminate the invasive characteristic of this valuable landscape ornamental. These triploid lines were reported in USA Today, the Boston Global, and websites of ABC News, CBS, PBS, NPR, Bloomberg Business Week along with many other media outlets. Dr. Li also developed a transgenic seedless fruit technology for improving fruit quality and yield, and recently developed a simple and effective two-step procedure for isolating mutant plants with targeted traits. He used this technology to develop 18 perennial ryegrass lines that are shade tolerant and naturally dwarf so that they require less frequent mowing. Currently, he is developing technologies for using CRISPR to produce non-transgenic, HLB resistant citrus cultivars.

Dr. Li has to deliver 142 invited keynote/plenary addresses or lectures at international, national and regional conferences or research institutions, served on review panels for NIH, DOE, NASA and USDA, served as associate editor for six international journals, and remains actively involved in ASHS. He chaired ASHS working groups, organized workshops, and served on ASHS committees. He organized or co-organized six international horticulture conferences and conducted a large number of outreach activities to high school students and the public to promote horticultural interest and public awareness.