Standards

Li's passion for cutting-edge innovation and disapproval of ambiguity in research work are woven into his teaching. At the institute, he leads a team of about 20 students, with the majority in their 20s.

"I set two basic requirements for them: standards and good choices," he said. "Their work should be authentic, reliable, accurate and up to standard in every aspect. Meanwhile, I expect them to have good taste in their choices of research topics. Maybe they prefer the most transformative scientific questions, or they are interested in research that has an impact on society or is truly interesting," he said.

In November, Li was awarded the 2021 Baruch S. Blumberg Prize by the Hepatitis B Foundation, a nonprofit organization named after the research physician.

In an online comment, Nobel laureate and US virologist Charles Rice, said: "This is a most fitting recognition for a truly transformative discovery. ... Wenhui and his team's success has provided a remarkable new tool for HBV virology and reenergized the field to find a functional cure for chronic hepatitis B. Bravo!"

Li said he now divides his time between deepening understanding of the virus and developing new therapies to treat the disease.

"Meaningful outcomes from fundamental research can always be transformed into applications, sooner or later," he said."In the end, it is the spirit of exploration that matters."