Dr. Li is the Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Director of the Orthopaedic Spine Fellowship at the University of Virginia. He holds dual appointments as the Mary M. Stamp Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Professor of Biomedical Engineering. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at UVA and a comprehensive spine surgery fellowship at the Columbia Spine Hospital.

Dr. Li is recognized for his expertise across a wide range of spine procedures, including microscope-assisted cervical disc replacement, complex scoliosis and deformity reconstruction, and motion-preserving surgeries such as laminoplasty. His clinical practice covers cervical, thoracic, and lumbar degenerative conditions (including disc herniation and spinal stenosis), spinal deformities such as scoliosis, kyphosis, and flatback syndrome, spine tumors, trauma, minimally invasive techniques, and robotic-assisted spine surgery.

Beyond his clinical work, Dr. Li leads an active research program. He established an independent laboratory at UVA in 2004 and has since served as principal or co-principal investigator on more than 36 grants, including eight funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).