About me

I am currently an associate research professor (副教授/博士生导师) at the Software Institute at Nanjing University. My main research interests include intelligent software testing, empirical software engineering, software analysis, knowledge engineering and formal methods. I am a member of the IEEE and the ACM. More detailed information is available on my homepage.

Our research group is actively looking for PhD., master, and undergraduate students. If you are interested in Software Engineering for AI, including testing and debugging for AI/DL systems, DL mutation testing, and empirical study on the development and deployment of AI/DL systems, don't hesitate to contact me (yanhuili@nju.edu.cn).

Teaching 

• Discrete Mathematics: Spring 2023

• Data Structure and Financial Algorithm: Autumn 2016-2023

• Algorithm Design and Analysis: Spring 2015-2016

Research

My research interests include 

• AI Testing and Debugging

• Mutation Testing 

• Empirical software engineering

• Software analysis

• Knowledge engineering

• Formal methods

Recent Publication

2026 

1. Yi Ren, Yanhui Li*, Tianyi Zhang, Diandong Liu: "CPQS-Tuning: A Model Self-Perception-Based Data Filtering Algorithm for Efficient Instruction Fine-Tuning". The Fourteenth International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR 2026). CCF-A

2. Linghan Meng, Yanhui Li*, Lin Chen, Mingliang Ma, Yuming Zhou, Baowen Xu: "Less is More: Feature Engineering for Fairness and Performance of Machine Learning Software". ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. Volume 35, Issue 2, Pages 1-36 (2026). CCF-A

3. Wenjie Xu, Yanhui Li*, Mingliang Ma, Lin Chen, Yuming Zhou: "Revealing Unseen Differences: A Change Metric Perspective on Deep Learning Software Lifecycle for Fine-tuning Data Debugging". Science of Computer Programming. 2026. CCF-B

4. Mingliang Ma, Yanhui Li*, Jun Wang, Lin Chen, Yuming Zhou: "MutDBD: Mutation-Based Training Set Diagnosis for Backdoor Defense in Deep Neural Networks". Science of Computer Programming. 2026. CCF-B

2025

1. Shiyu Sun, Yanhui Li*, Lin Chen, Yuming Zhou, Jianhua Zhao: "Boosting Code-line-level Defect Prediction with Spectrum Information and Causality Analysis". The 47th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2025). CCF-A

2. Wenjie Xu, Yanhui Li*, Mingliang Ma, Lin Chen, Yuming Zhou: "Weighted Suspiciousness and Balanced Aggregation to Boost Spectrum-based Fault Localization of Deep Learning Models". ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. 2025. CCF-A

3. Yimeng Guo, Zhifei Chen, Lu Xiao, Lin Chen*, Yanhui Li, Yuming Zhou: "Understanding and Identifying Technical Debt in the Co-Evolution of Production and Test Code". IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. 2025. CCF-A

4. Yuyong Liu, Zhifei Chen*, Lin Chen, Yanhui Li, Xuansong Li, Wei Song: "COTE: Predicting Code-to-Test Co-Evolution by Integrating Link Analysis and Pre-Trained Language Model Techniques". IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. 2025. CCF-A

5. Jun Wang, Chenghao Su, Yijie Ou, Yanhui Li, Jialiang Tan, Lin Chen*, Yuming Zhou: "Translating to a Low-Resource Language with Compiler Feedback: A Case Study on Cangjie". IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. 2025. CCF-A

6. Zeyu Lu, Yang Wang, Yi Rong, Yifan Huang, Xuan Wang, Peng Zhang, Shan Gao, Maolin Sun, Yibiao Yang, Yanhui Li, Lin Chen, Yuming Zhou*: "Understanding the potentially confounding effect of test suite size in test effectiveness evaluation". ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. 2025. CCF-A

7. Mingliang Ma, Yanhui Li*, Yingxin Chen, Lin Chen, Yuming Zhou: "Why and How We Combine Multiple Deep Learning Models with Functional Overlaps". Journal of Software: Evolution and Process. 2025. CCF-B

8. Yu Cheng, Xiaofang Qi*, Yanhui Li, Yumeng Wang: "ReckDroid: Detecting red packet fraud in Android apps". Computers & Security. 148: 104117. 2025. CCF-B

9. Deping Zhang*, Zhaohui Yang, Xiang Huang, Yanhui Li: "Extensive Mutation for Testing of Word Sense Disambiguation Models". Information and Software Technology, 2025. CCF-B

10. Jiali Liang, Lin Chen, Xiangyu Zhang, Yanhui Li, Yuming Zhou: "ProSpec: Profile-guided Specialization for GPU Kernels". Information and Software Technology, 2025. CCF-B

11. Yijie Ou, Chenghao Su, Lin Chen, Yanhui Li, Yuming Zhou: " Binding of C and JavaScript through automated glue code generation". Journal of Systems and Software. 2025. CCF-B

12. Zhifei Chen, Chiheng Jia, Yanhui Li, Lin Chen: "Using Dynamic and Static Techniques to Establish Traceability Links Between Production Code and Test Code on Python Projects: A Replication Study". Journal of Software: Evolution and Process. 2025. CCF-B