New Publication in European Heart Journal  Read more →
Baylor College of Medicine · Houston, Texas

Decoding
Cardiac
Arrhythmias

Pioneering research into the inflammatory and molecular mechanisms driving atrial fibrillation, cardiomyopathies, and rare conduction disorders.

Our Publications Explore Research
Na Li Lab Logo
3×
Active NIH R01 Grants
2018
First to link inflammasome to AF
4
Active Research Programs
AHA
Heart Association Funded
Research

Our Research Programs

Combining molecular biology, mouse models, and human tissue samples to understand and ultimately treat cardiac arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies.

Atrial Fibrillation & Inflammasome Signaling

Our group was the first to establish a causal role for inflammasome signaling in atrial fibrillation, mapping links to clonal hematopoiesis, liver disease, and aging.

Yao et al., Circulation 2018 →

FKBP5 in Atrial Cardiomyopathy

We identified FKBP5 as a novel molecular contributor to atrial cardiomyopathy, delineating its role in fibrotic and inflammatory remodeling across cardiac cell types.

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Cardiac Conduction Disorders

In collaboration with Dr. Mihail Chelu at BCM, we investigate molecular mechanisms underlying sinoatrial node dysfunction and atrioventricular block.

TANGO2-Deficiency Disorder

TDD is caused by TANGO2 gene mutations leading to life-threatening arrhythmias. We study TANGO2 function in cardiomyocytes using a knockout mouse model.

Featured Work

Recent Publications

European Heart Journal · 2025

GSDMD promotes arrhythmogenesis — beyond cell death

Our latest research establishes direct role of NT-GSDMD promotes atrial fibrillation by targeting cardiomyocyte mitochondria.

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Join Our Team

We're Seeking Passionate Scientists

We welcome inquiries from prospective graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scientists. Join our collaborative environment at the heart of the Texas Medical Center.

Funding & Support

Supported by NIH & AHA

The Li Lab is supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association, enabling foundational discoveries in cardiac molecular biology.

R01HL136389 R01HL163277 R01HL164838 AHA Grant
Principal Investigator
Na Li, Ph.D.
Professor & J. S. Abercrombie Chair
Baylor College of Medicine · Houston, TX
NCBI Bibliography →
Baylor College of Medicine Texas Heart Institute National Institutes of Health American Heart Association Texas Medical Center