Introduction
Dr. LIU has focused on teleost biology research that includes developmental and molecular genetics (zebrafish and medaka), molecular endocrinology (salmons) studies, and transgenesis (cyprinid fish) and genome editing (zebrafish) techniques. Starting from my postdoctoral training, we have used zebrafish to study how mechanosensory hair cells develop and regenerate upon damage; and to model human diseases for drug screening purpose. We have also used C. elegans to develop and test new ways to study functions of non-coding RNAs and a relationship between germ cells and somatic sex development.

Research Interest
1. Understanding how zebrafish develop mechanosensory hair cells and once being damaged, how they regenerate these sensory cells
2. Modeling human diseases in zebrafish
3. Development of new techniques

Professional Experience
2017-present: Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology
2008-2017:  Principal Investigator, School of Life Sciences, Peking University
2004-2008: Senior Research Associate, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon
1990-1991:   Research Assistant, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Education
1999-2004 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon
1992-1999  M.Sc. and Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto
1987-1990  M.Sc., Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
1983-1987  B.Sc., Department of Biology, Wuhan University

Honor & Award
1. Travel Award, International Zebrafish Society, 2017
2. Roche Fellowship Award, School of Life Sciences， PKU 2012
3. Hundred Talent Program nominee，Institute of Hydrobiology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences，2008 (declined)
4. Hundred Talent Program candidate，Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences，2004 (declined)
5. Travel Award, Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America, 2004
6. Travel award, Association for Research in Otolaryngology, 2003
7. Postdoctoral Fellowship, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, 2000 -2003
8. JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1999-2001 (declined)
9. Restracom Trainee Fellowship, HSC, Toronto, 1994 -1999
10. University of Toronto Open Fellowship, 1991-1992

Publication（after 2009） *： corresponding or co-corresponding author
1. Yang L, Chang S, Lu Q, Zhang Y,Wu Z, Sun X, Cao Q, Qian Y, Jia T, Xu B, Duan Q, Li Y., Zhang K, Schumann G, Liu D*, Wang J*, WangY*, Lu L.（2017）. A new locus regulating MICALL2 expression was identified for association with executive inhibition in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Mol Psychiatry （DOI:10.1038/mp.2017.74）.
2. Gao H, Bu Y, Wu Q, Wang X, Chang N, Lei L, Chen S, Liu D, Zhu X, Hu K, Xiong J. (2015). Mecp2 regulates neural cell differentiation by suppressing the Id1-Her2/Hes5 axis in zebrafish. J Cell Sci, 128(12):2340-2350.
3. Long L, Guo H, Yao D, Xiong K, Li Y, Liu P*, Zhu Z, Liu D*. (2015).Regulation of transcriptionally active genes via the catalytically inactive Cas9 in C. elegans and D. rerio, Cell Res, 25:638-641.
4. Wang J, Zhao F, Wu Y, Wu Y-t, Yao D, Dong W, Zhao J, Zhu Z, Liu D*. (2015). Fgf signaling dependent Sox9a and Atoh1a regulate otic neural development in zebrafish, J Neuroscience, 35:234-244 (highlighted article).
5. Yao D, Zhao F, Wu Y, Wang J, Zhao J, Zhu Z, Liu D*. (2014). Dissecting the differentiation process of the pre-placodal ectoderm in zebrafish, special issue ‘Sensory system: Development, Disease & Regeneration’, Dev Dyn, 243:1328-1337.
6. Liu P, Long L, Xiong K, Yu B, Chang N, Xiong J-W, Zhu Z and Liu D*. (2014). Heritable/Conditional Genome Editing in C. elegans using a CRISPR-Cas9 Feeding System. Cell Res, 24:886-889.
7. Sheehan-Rooney K, Swartz ME, Zhao F, Liu D and Eberhart JK. (2013). Ahsa1 and Hsp90 activity confers more severe craniofacial phenotypes in a zebrafish model of hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural deafness and renal dysplasia (HDR). Dis Model Mech, 6(5):1285-1291.
8. Li H, Huang P, Dong W, Zhu Z and Liu D*. (2013). A brief history of zebrafish research-toward biomedicine. Hereditas (Beijing), 35(4): 410-420 (in Chinese).
9. Dong W, Yang Z, Yang F, Wang J, Zhuang Y, Xu C, Zhang B, Tian X* and Liu D*. (2012). Suppression of Rap1 impairs cardiac myofibril and conduction system in zebrafish. PLoS ONE, 7(11): e50960. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050960.
10. Liu M , Liu P, Zhang L, Gao G, Zhang W, Zhu Z, Liu D* and Fan Q*. (2011). mir-35 is involved in control of intestine cell G1/S transition and germ cell proliferation in C. elegans. Cell Res, 21(11):1605-1618.
11. Choy SW, Cheng CW, Lee ST, Li VWT, Hui MNY, Hui C, Liu D and Cheng SH. (2010). A cascade of irx1a and irx2a controls shh expression during retinogenesis. Dev Dyn, 239:3204-3214.

Contact
Room 202, No.1 Research Building
Southern University of Science and Technology
1088 Xili Xueyuan Road, Nanshan District
Shenzhen, 518055
E-mail: liud(AT)sustc.edu.cn