Dr. Qi's major research interests include:

1. Genetic/molecular Epidemiology of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular complications, and obesity.
2. Gene-environment interactions in relation to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications.
3. Epidemiology of diet and lifestyle on type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Qi's research has focused on the genetic determinants and gene-environment interactions in relation to obesity, type 2 diabetes and the cardiovascular complications in diabetic patients. He has also concentrated the biochemical markers especially adipokines and inflammatory cytokines in predicting diabetes and cardiovascular complications. Dr. Qi is the Principal Investigator of the American Heart Association Scientist Development Grant on the biochemical and genetic predictors for cardiovascular disease in diabetes; and the Principal Investigator of Pilot and Feasibility Grant on the genome-wide association study on central obesity, sponsored by Boston Obesity Nutrition Research Center .

MD, 1993, Beijing Medical University (Currently as Peking University Health Science Center), China

MS, 1996, Chinese Center for Disease Prevention, China

PhD, 2004. Tufts University, Boston, MA

(Selected from 35 peer-reviewed publications)

1. Qi L, Shen H, Tai S, Tan C, Chew S, Greenberg A, Corella D, and Ordovas J. Intragenic linkage disequilibrium structure of the human perilipin gene (PLIN) and haplotype association with increased obesity risk in a multi-ethnic Asian population. J Mol Med. 2005; 83(6):448-56.

2. Qi L, Rimm E, Liu S, Rifai N, and Hu F. Dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, cereal fiber and plasma adiponectin concentration in diabetic men. Diabetes Care. 2005; 28(5):1022-8.

3. Qi L, Li T, Rimm E, Zhang C, Rifai N, Hunter D, Doria A, and Hu F. The +276 polymorphism of the APM1 gene and plasma adiponectin concentration and cardiovascular risk in diabetic men. Diabetes. 2005; 54(5):1607-10.

4. Corella D, Qi L, Sorli J, Godoy D, Portoles O, Coltell O, Greenberg A, Ordovas J. Obese subjects carrying the 11482G>A polymorphism at the perilipin (PLIN) locus are resistant to weight loss following dietary energy restriction. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005; 90(9):5121-6.

5. Qi L, Meigs J, Manson J, Ma J, Hunter D, Rifai N, and Hu F. HFE genetic variability, dietary iron intake, body iron stores and the risk of type 2 diabetes in US women. Diabetes. 2005; 54(12):3567-72.

6. Qi L, van Dam R, Mantzoros C, and Hu F. The Association between Whole Grain, Bran, and Cereal Fiber Intakes and Markers of Systemic Inflammation in Diabetic Women. Diabetes Care. 2006; 29(2):207-11.

7. Qi L, Manson J, Meigs J, Doria A, Hunter D, Mantzoros C, and Hu F. Adiponectin genetic variability, plasma adiponectin, and cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes, 2006, 55(5):1512-6

8. Corella D, Qi L, Tai E, Deurenberg-Yap M, Tan C, Chew S, Ordovas J. Perilipin Gene Variation Determines Higher Susceptibility to Insulin Resistance in Asian Women When Consuming a High-Saturated Fat, Low-Carbohydrate Diet. Diabetes Care. 2006; 29(6):1313-1319.

9. Qi L, van Dam R, Meigs J, Manson J, Hunter D, and Hu F. IL-6 genetic variability and type 2 diabetes: Large-scale case-control study and meta-analysis. Hum Mol Genet. 2006; 15(11):1914-20.

10. Lopez-Garcia E, van Dam R, Qi L, Hu F. Coffee consumption and markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction among healthy and diabetic women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006; 84(4):888-93.

11. Qi L, Meigs J, Liu S, Manson J, Mantzoros C, and Hu F. Dietary fibers and glycemic load, obesity, and plasma adiponectin levels in women with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 2006; 29(7):1501-5. 

12. Qi L, van Dam R, Rexrode K, Hu F. Heme iron from diet as a risk factor for coronary heart disease in women with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2007; 30(1):101-6.

13. Qi L, Doria A, Giorgi E, and Hu F. Variations in adiponectin receptor genes and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in US women: A tagging-SNP haplotype analysis. Diabetes. 2007;56(6):1586-91.

14. Qi L, Liu S, Rifai N, Hunter D, and Hu F. Associations of the apolipoprotein A1/C3/A4/A5 gene cluster with triglyceride and HDL levels in women with type 2 diabetes. Atherosclerosis. 2007; 192(1):204-10.

15. Qi L, Zhang C, van Dam R, and Hu F. Interleukin-6 gene and adiposity: associations in two independent cohorts and systematic review in 26,944 individuals. J Clin Endocrinol Metab., 2007; 92(9):3618-25

16. Qi L, Rifai N, and Hu F. Interleukin 6 receptor gene variations, plasma interleukin 6 levels, and type 2 diabetes in US women. Diabetes, 2007; 56(12):3075-81

17. Loos R, …Qi L, …Wareham N, Barroso I. Association studies involving over 90,000 samples demonstrate that common variants near to MC4R influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity. Nat Genet. 2008;40(6):768-75.

18. Zeggini E, …Qi L.. DIAGRAM Consortium. Meta-analysis of genome-wide association data and large-scale replication identifies several additional susceptibility loci for type 2 diabetes. Nat Genet. 2008;40(5):638-45

19. Qi L, Kang K, Lee C, van Dam R, Zhang C, Kraft P, Hunter D, and Hu F. FTO Gene Variant Is Associated with Obesity: Longitudinal Analyses of Two Cohort Studies and Functional Test. Diabetes. 2008 Jul 22.

20. Qi L, Kraft P, David H, Hu F. The Common Obesity Variant near MC4R Gene Is Associated with Higher Intakes of Total Energy and Dietary Fat, Weight Change, and Diabetes Risk in Women. Hum Mol Genet. 2008 Aug 22.

21. Qi L, Hu F, Hu G. Genes, environment, and interactions in prevention of type 2 diabetes: a focus on physical activity and lifestyle changes. Curr Mol Med. 2008 Sep;8(6):519-32.