Alice (Wenchao) Li, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Senior Epidemiologist
Dr. Li is a senior epidemiologist with over a decade of experience in epidemiology and environmental health research. She designs and conducts epidemiology studies and reviews the epidemiology literature to evaluate potential human health impacts of exposures to a wide range of chemicals in the environment, workplace, and home, including chemicals in foods and beverages, cosmetics, and other consumer products. Prior to joining Gradient, Dr. Li designed and conducted nutritional epidemiology research as part of her doctoral training at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. During this training, she was also an intern at ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences, Inc., where she reviewed and synthesized the epidemiology literature on the relationship between occupational exposure to benzene and myelodysplastic syndrome. In addition, Dr. Li has conducted cancer epidemiology research at the Minnesota Department of Health and the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center. She has authored more than a dozen publications in peer-reviewed journals, and her work has been presented at multiple scientific conferences.
Data Review and Analysis: Designed and performed statistical analyses to examine the potential health benefits of product use in a consumer clinical study.
Review of Chemical Standards: Assessed US EPA’s technical approaches for evaluating epidemiology evidence, and whether its conclusions were supported by the evidence, in its review of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for particulate matter.
Causation Assessment: Critically evaluated epidemiology evidence to determine whether emissions from an industrial facility could have caused the development of adverse health outcomes in nearby communities.
Epidemiology Study Review: Critically reviewed epidemiology studies of the potential health impacts of exposures to microplastics. Assessed study quality and the validity of study findings.
Li, W; Chien, J; Cohen, JM. 2025. “The relationship between air lead and blood lead in a modern US lead-acid battery facility: A longitudinal study.” J. Occup. Health 67(1):uiae073. doi: 10.1093/joccuh/uiae073.
Li, W; Goodman, JE; Rege, SV; Lewis, RJ; Dinkelacker, BT. 2025. “Risk-of-bias tools in air pollution epidemiology: A commentary.” J. Toxicology and Regulatory Policy doi: 10.69982/JTRP-25-0006.
Boon, D; Marchitti, SA; Colonna, KJ; Chowdhury-Paulino, IM; Li, W; Berky, A; Restrepo, C; Jack, M; Goodman, JE. 2025. “A systematic review of non-sugar sweeteners and cancer epidemiology studies.” Adv. Nutr. doi: 10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100527.
Li, W; Zhou, J; Boon, Denali; Fan, T; Anneser, E; Goodman, J; Prueitt, RL. 2024. “Nickel in ambient particulate matter and respiratory or cardiovascular outcomes: A critical review.” Environ. Pollut. 347:123442.
Boomhower, SR; Long, CL; Li, W; Manidis, TD; Bhatia, A; Goodman, JE. 2022. “A review and analysis of personal and ambient PM2.5 measurements: Implications for epidemiology studies.” Environ. Res. 204(Part B):112019.
Goodman, JE; Li, W; Cox Jr, LA. 2021. “Commentary: Using potential outcomes causal methods to assess whether reductions in PM2.5 result in decreased mortality.” Glob. Epidemiol. 3:100052.
Prueitt, RL; Li, W; Chang, YC; Boffetta, P; Goodman, JE. 2020. “Systematic review of the potential respiratory carcinogenicity of metallic nickel in humans.” Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 50(7):605-639.
Li, W; Schnatter, AR. 2018. “Benzene risk assessment: Does new evidence on myelodysplastic syndrome justify a new approach?” Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 48(6):417-432. doi: 10.1080/10408444.2018.1437389.