Professor King Chuen LI, MD, FRCP(C), MBA

Biography

Prof. King C. Li was appointed as Founding Dean of Medicine with effect from June 1, 2026.

Prof. Li had an exceptional track record in academic leadership and extensive administrative experience across hospitals, universities and medical centers. Before joining HKUST, Prof. Li served as Founding Dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) from 2016 to 2021.  Under his leadership, the College developed a technology-oriented medical curriculum, with its early graduating cohorts achieving a 100% pass rate in licensing examinations.

His prior leadership roles include Senior Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research at Wake Forest School of Medicine (2012-2016), Associate Director of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (2001-2006), and Director of In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Program at Standford University (1999-2001).

Prof. Li is an internationally renowned physician-scientist specializing in molecular imaging and radiology. A hallmark of his career is his deep commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration, bridging radiology, bioengineering, computer science, and nanotechnology. He is a Fellow of the U. S. National Academy of Inventors (2021), received the Gold Medal of the Association of University Radiologists (2021), and is an Inaugural Fellow of that same association. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Radiology, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2017), The International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (2018), and Society of Advanced Body Imaging (2010). Prof. Li is a highly accomplished biomedical innovator.  He holds 20 issued patents in the United States, Australia, and Europe, and has founded a company based on his translational research.

He holds an MD (with Honours) from the University of Toronto and an MBA from San José State University.