- Human genetics and genomics
- Single-cell transcriptomics
- RNA splicing and gene regulation
- Precision medicine and computational biology
- Genetic mechanisms of complex disease
A leading figure in genomics, Assistant Professor Liu heads the Liu Lab for Genomic Data Science, studying how genetic variation shapes gene expression and RNA splicing across human cell types. His achievements include:
- Establishing a single-cell sQTL atlas across diverse Asian populations, offering insights into cell-type-specific genetic regulation in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
- Developing LocusCompare2, a platform for reproducible causal gene identification in GWAS follow-up studies.
- Uncovering Asian-specific genetic effects linking exercise- and diet-induced weight loss to gene expression in skeletal muscle.
- Discovering mechanisms linking protein quality control and mitochondrial dynamics in human cells.
As Principal Research Scientist at the A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore, Assistant Professor Liu bridges genomics, statistics, and machine learning to advance understanding of complex and autoimmune diseases. He is also working with NUS' technology transfer office to translate his splicing discoveries toward clinical application, engaging a Boston-based biopharmaceutical company as a prospective partner, in addition to holding a Singapore patent for identifying disease-associated splicing events.
- Published 11 high-impact papers since joining NUS, including in Nature, Nature Genetics, Cell, Cell Genomics, and Nature Communications.
- Obtained more than 7,700 citations for work carried out at NUS, with a Hirsch index of 24.
- Secured more than S$5.6 million in competitive research funding at NUS.
- Associate Editor of PLOS Genetics and Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence; Editorial Board Member of the Asia-Pacific Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology.
- Peer reviewer for Nature Genetics, Nature Methods, Nature Communications, Cell Genomics, Genome Research, and American Journal of Human Genetics, among others.
- Programme committee member for ISMB 2024 and BIBM 2023, and abstract reviewer for the American Society of Human Genetics (2024).
- Young Scientist Award, President’s Science & Technology Awards (2026)
- Young Scientist Award (2025), Faculty of Science
- National Research Foundation AI-for-Science Award (2025)
- Nucleic Acid Therapeutics Initiative Award (2025)
- Invited Nominator, VinFuture Prize (2025)
- NUS Presidential Young Professorship (2024)
- NUHS Summit Young Investigator Award (2024)
- International Congress of Immunology Travel Award (2023)
- PhD, MSc (Stanford University)
- BA (Illinois Wesleyan University)