864-889-0519 chg@clemson.edu

Email: Qliu4@clemson.edu

Educational Background

Postdoc, Genomics, Stanford University School of Medicine
Ph.D., Molecular Toxicology, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

MS, Aquatic Toxicology, Shanghai Ocean UniversityBS, Biological Sciences, Nanjing University

Profile/About Me

The Liu laboratory focuses on two aspects of the cardiovascular system at both early-life and adult stages, including 1) mechanisms underlying gene regulation and metabolism, and 2) mechanisms of dysfunction in the heart due to exposure to toxicants/pharmaceuticals. We developed a human stem cell-based system to investigate how transcription factors regulate metabolic remodeling (from glycolysis to mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation) during cardiac differentiation; and we also use human stem cells with CRISPR-technology for genome-wide screening of genes of interest that are involved in exposure. The goal of our research is to fill knowledge gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms of cardiac and metabolic dysfunction due to exposure, and also in the future to benefit predictive toxicology and the prevention of toxicity with respect to human health. Our research integrates both experimental and computational biology with multidisciplinary technologies, including stem cell biology, ‘Omic’ technologies, functional analysis, genome-editing, high-throughput screening, and bioinformatics/computational biology.

Research Interests

Stem cell biology, cardiovascular toxicology and metabolism, genomics

Courses Taught

BIOL 4930 Senior Seminar (from 2022 Fall)

Selected Publications

Liu Q*#, Wu H#, Luo Q-J#, Jiang C, Duren, D, Van Bortle K, Zhao M-T, Zhao, B, Liu, J, Marciano DP, Lee-McMullen B, Zhu C, Narasimha AM, Gruber JJ, Lipchik AM, Guo H, Watson NK, Tsai MT, Furihata T, Wei E, Tian L, Li Y, Steinmetz, LM, Wong WH, Kay MA, Wu JC, Snyder MP*. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors induce mitochondrial dysfunction during cardiomyocyte differentiation through alteration of GATA4-mediated networks. BioRxiv preprint: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.04.077024 (*, corresponding author; # equal contribution).

Van Bortle K, Marciano DP, Liu Q, Lipchik AM, Gollapudi S, Geller B, Monte E, Kamakaka RT, Snyder MP. A cancer-associated RNA Polymerase III identity drives robust transcription and expression of SNAR-A noncoding RNA. Nature Communications. 13, 3007 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30323-6

Wang M, Jiang L, Jian R, Chan JY, Liu Q, Snyder MP, Tang H. RobNorm: model-based robust normalization method for labeled quantitative mass spectrometry proteomics data. Bioinformatics. 2021. 37 (6), 815-821

Grubert F#, Srivas R#, Spacek DV#, Kasowski M#, Greenside P, Narasimha A, Liu Q, Geller B, Sanghi A, Kullik M, Sa S, Rabinovitch M, Dalton S, Snyder MP. Landscape of cohesin-mediated chromatin loops in the human genome. Nature. 2020, 583(7818):737-743. PMID: 32728247 (# equal contribution)

Jiang C#, Wang X#, Li X#, Inlora J#, Wang T#, Liu Q, Snyder MP. Dynamic human exposome revealed by longitudinal personal monitoring. Cell. 2018,175(1):P277-291.E31. PMID: 30241608 (# equal contribution)

Liu Q, Van Bortle K, Zhang Y, Zhao M-T, Zhang JJ, Benjamin GS, Gruber JJ, Jiang C, Wu JC, Snyder MP. Disruption of mesoderm formation during cardiac differentiation due to developmental exposure to 13-cis-retinoic acid. Scientific Reports.2018, 8:12960. PMID: 30154523

Liu Q, Jiang C, Xu J, Zhao M, Van Bortle K, Cheng X, Wang G, Chang HY, Wu JC, Snyder MP. Genome-wide temporal profiling of transcriptome and open chromatin of early cardiomyocyte differentiation derived from hiPSCs and hESCs. Circulation Research. 2017, 121(4): 376-391. PMID: 28663367

Zhao M-T#, Chen H #, Liu Q #, Shao N, Sayed N, Liu C, Kim Y, Yang H, Chour T, Ma H, Gutierrez N, Karakikes I, Mitalipov S, Snyder MP, Wu JC. Molecular and functional resemblance of differentiated cells derived from isogenic human iPSCs and SCNT-derived ESCs. PNAS. 2017. 114(52): E11111-E11120. PMID: 29203658 (# equal contribution)

Liu Q#, Klingler RH#, Wimpee B, Dellinger M, King-Heiden T, Grzybowski J, Gerstenberger SL, Weber DN, Carvan MJ 3rd. Maternal methylmercury from a wild-caught walleye diet induces developmental abnormalities in zebrafish. Reproductive Toxicology. 2016, 65: 272–282. PMID: 27544571 (# equal contribution)

Liu Q, Spitsbergen JM, Cariou R, Huang CY, Jiang N, Goetz G, Hutz RJ, Tonellato PJ, Carvan MJ 3rd. Histopathologic alterations associated with global gene expression due to chronic dietary TCDD exposure in juvenile zebrafish. PLoS One. 2014, 9(7):e100910. PMCID: PMC4079602

Hutz RJ, Carvan MJ 3rd, Larson JK, Liu Q, Stelzer RV, King-Heiden TC, Baldridge MG, Shahnoor N, Julien K. Familiar and novel reproductive endocrine disruptors: xenoestrogens, dioxins and nanoparticles. Curr Trends Endocinol. 2014;7:111-122. PMCID: PMC4364387

Liu Q, Basu N, Goetz G, Jiang N, Hutz RJ, Tonellato PJ, Carvan MJ 3rd. Differential gene expression associated with dietary methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). Ecotoxicology. 2013, 22(4):740-751. PMCID: PMC3664064

Liu Q, Rise ML, Spitsbergen JM, Hori TS, Mieritz M, Geis S, McGraw JE, Goetz G, Larson J, Hutz RJ, Carvan MJ 3rd. Gene expression and pathologic alteration in juvenile rainbow trout due to chronic dietary TCDD exposure. Aquatic Toxicology. 2013, 140-141: 356-368. PMCID: PMC3791104

Memberships

Society of Toxicology
American Heart Association/American Stroke Association