Dr Lan Li began her studies in Chinese language and culture at Renmin University, Beijing, where she first recieved a BA and then an MA in Chinese Language & Literature. She then took up a lecturership position at the university, lecturing on the History & Theory of Ancient Chinese Literature.

In 1991 she recieved a scholarship from Queen's University Belfast for her PhD in Social Anthropology, which was also funded by the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Her doctoral thesis, entitled "Nuo: Shamanism Among the Tujia of Southwest China" studied the rise of popular religions in contemporary China, and was later published in book form. After completing her doctoral studies in 1998, Dr Li lectured in Chinese Language & Culture at Queen's University Belfast until 2006. In August 2006, Dr Li joined the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland as a lecturer in Chinese Studies.

Dr Li is a member of the British Association for Chinese Studies and the Association for Chinese Studies in Ireland. Her research interests lie in Chinese popular religion, the History of the Qing Dynasty in the 19^th century and the status of Chinese migrant workers in Ireland.