About

Dr. Hanhan Li is the Chief of Urology at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. Her practice focuses on robotic-assisted surgery and genitourinary reconstruction for both male and female veterans. She specializes in robotic-assisted surgery for benign and malignant urologic conditions, male and female urinary incontinence, and urinary tract and pelvic reconstruction. Dr. Li completed her medical education at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in 2012, followed by a urology residency at the Vattikuti Institute of Urology, Henry Ford Health System, in 2017. She further specialized through fellowships in Urinary Tract and Pelvic Reconstruction at MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2018, and Female Urology and Pelvic Reconstruction at Minnesota Urology in 2020.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Biology
• Genetics
• Telecommunications
• Materials science
• Biotechnology
• Optics
• Physics
• Optoelectronics
• Biochemistry
• Microbiology
• Chemistry

Selected publications

• Timing and genesis of gold mineralization in the Kibaran Metallogenic Province, D.R. Congo: Constraints from zircon U Pb geochronology, trace element chemistry, and Lu Hf isotopes

  Journal of Geochemical Exploration · 2026-01-07

  articleCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• π-Conjugation-extended benzoimidazoisoindolone-based n-type ladder polymers for highly air-robust aqueous sodium-ion electrochromic energy storage

  Materials Horizons · 2026-01-01 · 1 citations

  article

  . The electrochromic energy storage mechanism of benzoimidazoisoindolone-based conjugated polymers involves sequential electron transfer with preferential carbonyl reduction, followed by imidazole ring reduction, which enables synergistic regulation of color switching and energy storage. Benzoimidazoisoindolone-based n-type fully conjugated ladder polymers demonstrate promising potential for highly air-stable aqueous sodium-ion electrochromic energy storage systems.

  PublisherDOI

• An 8×240 Gbps dense wavelength division multiplexing transmitter with lithium tantalate

  Nature Communications · 2025-11-27

  articleOpen access

  Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) is regarded as a revolutionary solution that significantly enhances transmission capacity. However, DWDM in electro-optic (EO) material platforms faces bottlenecks including limited channel numbers, large insertion losses (ILs), and limited spectral efficiency. Here, an 8×240 Gbps DWDM transmitter at O band is demonstrated on a lithium-tantalate-on-insulator platform through proposing a robust flat-top optical filter based on a novel coupled Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity. The flat-top optical filter shows overall high performance of a low IL of ~0.1–0.4 dB, a large free spectral range of 12 nm, a high extinction ratio (ER) of ~26 dB, and a large fabrication tolerance. The 8-channel DWDM transmitter is further realized with uniform channel spacings of 200 GHz and a total data capacity of 8×240 Gbps. Therefore, it offers a critical strategy for enhancing the capacity of optical links, holding significant promise for widespread application in fields like data centers and artificial intelligence. Researchers demonstrate an 8×240 Gbps DWDM transmitter on a thin-film lithium tantalate platform for the O-band, using a novel flat-top optical filter based on coupled Fabry–Perot cavities. It achieves low insertion loss (0.1–0.4 dB), a high extinction ratio (~26 dB), and a 12 nm free spectral range, showing promise for high-capacity optical links in AI and data centers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A 36 × 240 Gbps hybrid mode/wavelength division multiplexing transmitter using lithium niobate on insulator

  Research Square · 2025-11-25

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• An Ultracompact Low-Loss Multilevel Nonvolatile Phase Shifter with Rhomboidal Segments of Embedded $\text{Sb}_{2} \text{Se}_{3}$

  2025-09-28

  article

  An ultracompact low-loss embedded rhomboidal segmented <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\text{Sb}_{2} \text{Se}_{3}$</tex> nonvolatile phase shifter is proposed and implemented, achieving phase modulation up to <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\sim 0.37 \pi \mu m^{-1}$</tex> and low loss at <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$\sim 0.017 d B \mu m^{-1}$</tex>, and 15 phase levels controlled by direct writing laser.

  PublisherDOI

• Multi-Ancestry Mendelian Randomization Reveals Lipid-Associated Genetic Risk Factors for COPD

  International Journal of COPD · 2025-08-01 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Background: Previous Mendelian randomization (MR) studies investigating the causal relationship between lipid traits and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have primarily focused on individuals of European (EUR) ancestry, limiting the generalizability of findings. This study aimed to address this limitation. Methods: Summary-level data for individuals of East Asian (EAS), African (AFR), and Hispanic (HIS) ancestry were obtained from large-scale genetic databases. Lipid traits, including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC), were derived from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium (GLGC). The discovery COPD dataset was sourced from the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative (GBMI), while replication datasets came from the Million Veteran Program (MVP) and Biobank Japan (BBJ). Causal effects were assessed through meta-analysis across discovery and replication cohorts, supplemented by a series of sensitivity analyses, including the Steiger test, Causal Analysis Using Summary Effect Estimates (CAUSE), MRLap, RadialMR, Bonferroni correction, among others. Results: = 0.009) in the AFR population. No other significant causal relationships were detected. Conclusion: This study reveals ancestry-specific causal links between lipid traits and COPD risk. The protective effect observed for TG in EAS may reflect variant-level pleiotropy rather than a true metabolic influence, warranting cautious interpretation. These findings highlight the importance of multi-ancestry analyses in contextualizing genetic associations across diverse populations.

  PublisherDOI

• Portable electrochemical aptasensor based on gold-nanoparticles/FeCo-MOFs and PtPd nanoflowers for in site detection of AFB1

  Sensors and Actuators B Chemical · 2025-11-11 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  Aflatoxin B1 is one of the most toxic carcinogens and has been classified as a group I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. AFB1 is widely distributed in the natural environment and may be present in various grains and products. Therefore, it is significant to establish a strategy for in site detection of AFB1 accurately. Herein, a portable electrochemical aptasensor was developed for accurate detection of AFB1. A screen-printed electrode was selected as the working electrode, which improves the portability and practical application of the aptasensor. The use of gold-nanoparticles/FeCo-MOFs as electrode modification materials improves both the electron transfer efficiency and the large number of connected signal probes. Daisy-like bimetallic PtPd nanoflowers have rich specific surface area, providing numerous sites for loading of the signal molecule thionine. Additionally, the catalytic hairpin assembly cycle amplification strategy was implemented to effectively enhance the sensitivity of the aptasensor. Under optimal conditions, the sensor exhibited a detection range of 0.001–500 ng/mL and a limit of detection of 0.818 pg/mL. The developed aptasensor exhibited positive analytical performance in real samples, quality control samples and toxin samples produced by aspergillus flavus. This work advances the development of portable, sensitive and in site analytical methods, with promising applications in food safety field testing. The specific binding of AFB1 and the aptamer causes CDNA exposure, which in turn triggers the CHA cycle. The generated signal probe Thi/PtPd NFs is added to the AuNPs/FeCo-MOFs modified SPE surface, and the signal change is measured by SWV to detect AFB1. • AuNPs/FeCo-MOFs have excellent conductivity and can connect to DNA. • PtPd NFs can load large amounts of Thi and enhance electrochemical signal. • CHA cycling strategy improves the sensitivity of the aptasensor. • SPE as working electrode improves portability and in site analysis capabilities. • The aptasensor have shown good analytical performance in various real samples.

  PublisherDOI

• Neuroinflammation and stress-induced pathophysiology in major depressive disorder: mechanisms and therapeutic implications

  Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience · 2025-04-23 · 15 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common mental health conditions, characterized by pervasive and persistent low mood, low self-esteem, and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that are typically enjoyable. Despite decades of research into the etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms of depression, the therapeutic outcomes for many individuals remain less than expected. A promising new area of research focuses on stress-induced neuroinflammatory processes, such as the excessive activation and crosstalk of microglia and astrocytes in the central nervous system under stress, as well as elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are closely linked to the onset and progression of depression. This review summarizes the mechanisms through which neuroinflammation induces or promotes the development of depression, and also highlights the effective roles of small molecules with anti-inflammatory activity in the treatment of MDD. Understanding the specific mechanisms through which stress-induced neuroinflammation further impacts depression, and using technologies such as single-cell RNA sequencing to elucidate the specific subtypes and interactions of microglia and astrocytes in depression, is of great importance for developing more effective therapeutic strategies for MDD.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Pockels effect induced strong Kerr nonlinearity in a lithium niobate waveguide

  ArXiv.org · 2025-12-11

  preprintOpen access

  The utilization of Kerr nonlinearity in lithium niobate has been extensively investigated over the years. Nevertheless, the practical implementation of Kerr nonlinearity in waveguides has been constrained by the material's inherently low third-order nonlinear coefficients. Here, we present a significant advancement by demonstrating Pockels effect-induced strong Kerr nonlinearity in a periodically poled thin-film lithium niobate waveguide. Both effective four-wave mixing (FWM) and cascaded effective FWM processes are experimentally observed. The induced FWM process achieves a remarkable maximum output power of -8.5 dBm, spanning a wavelength spectrum of over 116.8 nm. Analysis reveals that the induced effective Kerr nonlinearity exhibits a substantial effective nonlinear refractive index as $2.9\times 10^{-15} m^{2}W^{-1}$, corresponding to an effective nonlinear refractive index enhancement factor of $1.6\times 10^{4}$ relative to the intrinsic value. Moreover, a wavelength-converting experiment demonstrates a flat optic-to-optic response over a broadband radiofrequency spectrum, confirming that signal integrity is well preserved after on-chip effective FWM conversion. Therefore, the demonstrated efficient and broadband Pockels effect induced effective Kerr nonlinearity paves the way for novel applications in diverse fields, including spectroscopy, parametric amplification, quantum correlation studies, and wavelength conversion technologies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Integrated broadband and high-efficiency difference frequency generation

  Nature Communications · 2025-12-10 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  High-efficiency integrated difference frequency generation (DFG) has long been pursued for optical communications and signal processing. Recent developments of the thin-film lithium niobate platform enable strong optical confinement in nanoscale waveguides, greatly enhancing the nonlinear efficiencies. However, the absolute DFG conversion efficiencies (CEs) in recent studies are limited because of fail to satisfy the phase-matching condition strictly. Here, we demonstrate an integrated DFG device based on an adapted thin-film periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide. The generated idler wave achieves a maximum output power of 13.2 dBm and a CE of 48.6%. Furthermore, our device exhibits flat optical responses and high-quality eye diagrams when converting a signal at 1638 nm to an idler at 1556 nm, enabling bringing unique-band light into the amplifier’s gain band. By overcoming the efficiency limitations of previous DFG implementations, our work opens wider possibilities for practical applications in optical communications, wavelength conversion, and signal amplification. Difference frequency generation (DFG) is promising for wavelength conversion and signal amplification, but is limited by low conversion efficiencies. Here, the authors demonstrate broadband and high-efficiency DFG under adapted poling implementation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Daoxin Dai

  Jiaxing University

  199 shared

• Yaocheng Shi

  86 shared

• Mo Li

  52 shared

• Lijia Song

  State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instruments

  50 shared

• Zejie Yu

  Zhejiang University

  39 shared

• Weixi Liu

  Zhejiang University

  37 shared

• Yiwei Xie

  Zhejiang University of Science and Technology

  26 shared

• Bingcheng Pan

  Zhejiang University

  25 shared

Labs

• Timm-Nelson LabPI

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

  University of Minnesota Twin Cities

  2015

• Master of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering

  Tsinghua University

  2009

• Bachelor of Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering

  Tsinghua University

  2007

Awards & honors

• Urinary Tract and Pelvic Reconstruction, MD Anderson Cancer…
• Female Urology and Pelvic Reconstruction, Minnesota Urology,…