GET TO KNOW YOUR LEADERSHIP
Q&A With Si Li, MD
LGBTQ+ at CHEST Interest Group Steering Committee
CHEST member since 2022
May 20, 2026
Where do you work, and what is your current position?
I am currently a pulmonary and critical care medicine fellow at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.
What are your clinical and/or research interests?
My clinical interests focus on pulmonary medicine and the behavioral management of chronic lung diseases. My research centers on developing and evaluating interventions aimed at promoting respiratory health.
What led you to join your Interest Group and become a Steering Committee member?
I joined the Interest Group because I wanted to help build a stronger sense of community, mentorship, and belonging for trainees and early career clinicians—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.
Becoming a Steering Committee member felt like the natural next step: I wanted to move from participating to actively shaping programs, creating opportunities for connection, and helping turn ideas into practical initiatives that support members in meaningful ways.
How does this Interest Group enhance your experience as a CHEST member?
This Interest Group has made my CHEST experience much more meaningful by giving me a true community within the larger organization. It creates a space where I can now connect with colleagues who share similar values, learn from different perspectives, and discuss issues that directly affect both trainees and patients.
It has also expanded my growth opportunities through mentorship, collaboration, leadership, and advocacy work that I likely would not have accessed as easily otherwise.
Who or what has inspired you in your journey in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine?
A major influence in my journey has been my research mentor. His approach reframed how I think about innovation: not only new drugs or devices but also evidence-based behavioral strategies that help patients make meaningful, sustainable lifestyle changes.
What inspires me most is the idea that such patient-centered interventions like improving daily activity, motivation, and self-management can lead to life-changing outcomes in symptoms, function, confidence, and quality of life.
What activities or hobbies do you enjoy that might surprise your colleagues?
Camping and kayak fishing.
What is something you cannot live without (after family and friends)?
Curiosity. After family and friends, I can’t live without the drive to keep learning: asking why, testing ideas, and finding better ways to care for patients. It’s what keeps medicine meaningful for me and what turns challenges into growth.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with your Interest Group peers?
I’d love to share one topic that I think deserves more open conversation in our community: fertility preservation and family-building options for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. I believe such options can make a major difference for providers' and patients’ long-term well-being and autonomy. I’d be excited for our group to keep exchanging practical resources, referral strategies, and inclusive communication approaches so we can better support patients and colleagues alike.
MORE ABOUT LGBTQ+ AT CHEST INTEREST GROUP »