Work Experience
Dr. Tiemin Liu received his PhD from the University of Toronto, Canada in 2009. Dr. Liu engaged in postdoctoral research in the Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (HMS and BIDMC, USA), then the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW, USA). Dr. Liu was promoted to Faculty-level Instructor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2014. In 2017, he became a full professor at the School of Life Sciences, PI at the State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Fudan University, China.
Research Interests
Dr. Liu is interested in understanding the anti-obesity neurocircuitry in the brain including the functional role of NMDARs/dendritic spine-driven plasticity in feeding circuitry and brain regulation of body weight homeostasis, food intake, glucose homeostasis and control of the autonomic nervous system. He uses conditional, neuron-specific genetic engineering techniques (Cre/loxP recombination) to regulate gene expression in the mouse brain and investigates the central mechanisms underlying the actions of leptin, melanocortin and serotonin.
Awards
1. American Diabetes Association Young Investigator Travel Grant Award(2014)
2. Dr. Anna Shawyer Scholarships – University of Toronto(2007)
3. Government of Ontario/ Dr. Arnie Aberman Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology – University of Toronto(2006)
4. University of Toronto Open Fellowship Award(2002)
5. University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship(2000)
Selected Publications
1. Kong X*, Williams KW andLiu T*. Genetic Mouse Models: The Powerful Tools to Study Fat Tissues.Methods in Molecular Biology1566:99-107, 2017.
2. Yong G, Yao T, Deng Z, Sohn JW, Jia S, Huang Y, Kong X,Yu KJ, Wang RT, Chen H, Guo H, Yan J, Cunningham KA, Chang Y*,Liu T* and Williams KW*. TrpC5 mediates acute leptin and serotonin effects via Pomc neurons.Cell Reports17;18(3):583-592, 2017.
3. Williams KW*,Liu T*, Kong X*, Fakuda M*, Deng Y, Berglund ED, Deng Z, Gao Y, Liu T, Sohn JW, Jia L, Fujikawa T, Kohno D, Scott MM, Lee S, Lee CE, Sun K, Chang Y, Scherer PE and Elmquist JK. Xbp1s in Pomc neurons connects ER stress with energy balance and glucose homeostasis.Cell Metabolism, 20(3):471-82. 2014.
4. Berglund ED*,Liu T*, Kong X*, Sohn JW, Vong L, Deng Z, Lee CE, Lee S, Williams KW, Olson DP, Scherer PE, Lowell BB, and Elmquist JK. Melanocortin 4 receptors in autonomic neurons regulate thermogenesis and glycemia.Nature Neuroscience, 17(7):911-3. 2014.
5.Liu T, Kong D, Shah BP, Ye C, Koda S, Saunders A, Ding J B, Yang Z, Sabatini BL and Lowell BB. Fasting activation of AgRP neurons requires NMDA receptors and involves spinogenesis and increased excitatory tone.Neuron73(3), 511-22, 2012.
a)Featured by Neuron as Cover: Neuron 73(3): 2012.
b)Featured Article by Neuron: Neuron 73(3): 2012.
c)Featured by Cell Metabolism with a preview: Transmitter Time: Synaptic plasticity and Metabolic Memory in the Hypothalamus. Cell Metabolism 15: 275-27 (2012).
