Research

Research in the Liu Lab focuses on understanding how cells communicate, adapt, and make decisions in complex biological environments, with an emphasis on mechanisms that shape disease progression and therapeutic response. Our current work centers on extracellular vesicle (EV) biology and cancer cell fate, where we investigate how intercellular communication, stress signaling, and molecular regulation converge to influence cellular behavior.

This research builds on decades of foundational work in cell signaling, stress responses, and protein regulation that established key principles of cellular organization and control. By integrating live-cell imaging, quantitative analysis, and chemical and genetic perturbations, the Liu Lab bridges fundamental biology with translational insight, advancing strategies to manipulate cellular systems for therapeutic benefit.

EVBio

We investigate how extracellular vesicles mediate intercellular communication and develop programmable EV platforms to enable targeted delivery of biological cargo in disease contexts.

CancerBio

Our cancer research explores how intercellular interactions, stress signaling, and molecular regulation shape tumor cell fate, therapeutic sensitivity, and disease progression.

Legacy

Foundational work from the Liu Lab established key principles of cell signaling, stress responses, protein regulation, and cell cycle control that continue to inform modern biology.