Li received her MA in geophysics in 1997 from Harvard University where she completed her Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences in 1998. She is a professor in Geochemistry and Mineral Physics at the University of Michigan. Li's research includes carbon at high pressures and the origin and evolution of terrestrial plants, terrestrial-like moons and asteroids in the Solar System. Research topics that she is engaged in are:[1]
- Light element composition of the Earth's core
- Spin state of iron in the Earth's lower mantle
- State of Mercury's core and the origin of its magnetic field
- Core formation during the early history of the Earth
- Formation of the Earth's continental crust
Li is a member of the Extreme Physics and Chemistry Community Scientific Steering Committee of the Deep Carbon Observatory.[2]