Jin Li, M.D., Ph.D. ’01 and a Lifetime Dedicated to Neurology, Education, and Community Service

Growing up in Beijing, China, Dr. Li was inspired by her parents to continually pursue excellence. They taught her that learning is a lifelong journey and that every stage of life presents an opportunity to improve oneself and contribute to society.

After graduating from Peking University Health Science Center, where she earned her medical degree, Dr. Li came to the United States to pursue scientific research and advanced clinical training. She enrolled in the Ph.D. program at NYMC, studying protein regulation and neurobiology under the mentorship of Victor A. Fried, Ph.D., program director of cell biology, professor of cell and molecular physiology, and professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology. Her doctoral research strengthened both her scientific foundation and her appreciation for asking focused, meaningful research questions while keeping sight of the broader impact of scientific discovery.

Her research naturally led her toward neurology. During residency training at NYMC, she discovered her passion for neuromuscular medicine and electrodiagnostic medicine, fields that allow her to combine careful clinical reasoning with sophisticated diagnostic techniques. She later developed a second subspecialty in headache medicine and became one of the early neurologists in the region to incorporate botulinum toxin therapy into the treatment of chronic migraine.

Following residency, Dr. Li chose to remain at NYMC because of its strong academic environment and its commitment to patient care, education, and research. With more than two decades on the faculty, she has witnessed—and helped shape—the remarkable growth of the Department of Neurology.

Today, Dr. Li serves as professor of neurology and holds several leadership positions at NYMC and Westchester Medical Center (WMC). She is chief of the Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, director of the EMG Laboratory, medical director of the Headache Center, director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Care Center, and associate program director of the Neurology Residency Program. Throughout her career, she has been deeply committed to graduate medical education, mentoring hundreds of medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty.

In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Li has developed multidisciplinary programs that bring together specialists across neurology, neurosurgery, pain medicine, rehabilitation, plastic surgery, and other disciplines to improve care for patients with complex neuromuscular disorders, peripheral nerve diseases, and chronic headache.

In addition to her demanding academic career, Dr. Li has remained deeply connected to her Chinese heritage and to the broader Asian American community. For more than two decades, she has helped organize the annual Asian American Heritage Festival at Kensico Dam Plaza in Westchester County, one of the region's largest celebrations of Asian culture. The festival brings together thousands of community members, hundreds of performers, local elected officials, and community organizations to celebrate diversity and promote cultural understanding.

Dr. Li and her husband, Gary Guo, M.D., Ph.D., instructor of medicine at NYMC, who is an internist at WMC, have also served as presidents of the local chapter of OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates and past presidents of the Chinese American Physicians Association. Through these organizations, she has promoted health education, mentorship, and civic engagement within the Asian American community.

As a physician, educator, researcher, and community leader, Dr. Li continues to advocate for improved health care access and greater awareness of neurological disorders, while also addressing important issues affecting Asian American communities, including mental health and health equity.

Reflecting on her journey, Dr. Li believes that medicine has given her an extraordinary opportunity to make a lasting difference.

"Every patient teaches us something. Every student carries our work forward. Every opportunity to serve our community reminds us why we became physicians. Looking back, I feel incredibly fortunate that New York Medical College has been my academic home throughout this journey," she said.