Seeing a need for better medical support during outreach missions to remote areas, Li tackled the problem of bulky diagnostic equipment. She led her team in relentless work, often around the clock. Their breakthrough was a 600-gram portable diagnostic device that clips to a uniform belt, slashing pathogen detection time from hours to 30 minutes. She also spearheaded a rapid test kit that cut diagnosis times from three days to two hours.

In her office, a passage hangs on the wall: "When you see someone suffering, feel it as your own." "A doctor must see the patient, not just the disease," she says, a lesson she now imparts to her students. She has mentored more than 100 young doctors. On rounds, she crouches to meet patients at eye level.