Hongmin Li

We aim to develop broad-spectrum antifungals against pathogenic fungi including Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida auris, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Coccidioides spp. We are currently targeting essential fungal enzymes, including, but not limited to dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), lanosterol synthase (ERG7), and mevalonate diphosphate decarboxylase (MVD1). These genes are essential for the growth of these fungi. We developed high throughput screening strategies and identified candidate inhibitors with inhibition efficacy against these fungal pathogens.