Fei Liu, PhD
Associate Professor
Contact
Cell Biology and Genetics
Institute for Regenerative Medicine
242B Reynolds Medical Building
College Station,
TX
77843
fliu@tamu.edu
Phone: 979.436.9642
Biography
Fei Liu received his Ph.D. degree on Immunology from the 4th Military Medical University in Xi’an, China in 2002. His postdoctoral work was on Developmental Biology at Dr. Stefan Hoppler’s laboratory in University of Dundee and University of Aberdeen in United Kingdom, then at Dr. Sarah Miller’s laboratory in University of Pennsylvania. He started his independent research career in Texas A&M University from 2008-10-01 as an assistant professor and was tenured and promoted to associate professor in 2014-09-01.
His research is continuously supported by federal grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense (DoD).
He directs graduate courses MSCI_601 Principles of Basic Medical Sciences and GENE/MCMD_677 Genes and Diseases. He also teaches multiple other graduate courses and Medical Student Grand Rounds. He is a chair or member of advisory committees for master and PhD students. He also hosts high school and undergraduate students for summer research and directed study courses.
For national services, he is a member in multiple grant review panels of NIH including National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and Special Emphasis Panels. For international services, he is a member of grant review panels of funding agencies in United Kingdom, Switzerland, Poland, Israel, and Austria. Since 2023, he serves as an Associate Editor of the journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. He also serves as a symposium organizer and session chair for annual conferences of International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR). For institutional services, he is a member of multiple committees in Texas A&M University, College of Medicine, and the department of Cell Biology and Genetics.
Education and Training
- The 4th Military Medical University, China, MB, 1995
- The 4th Military Medical University, China, PhD, 2002
- University of Dundee/Aberdeen, Scotland, Postdoc, 2005
- University of Pennsylvania, USA, Postdoc, 2008
Research Interests
- Prof. Liu’s first research interest is the pathogenesis and novel therapies of severe dry mouth caused by radiation therapy or autoimmune responses. Both types of dry mouth are common and difficult to treat and greatly impair the quality of life. Liu lab found that a type of local immune cells, salivary gland tissue resident macrophages, is essential for the restoration of saliva secretion after radiation damage. Current work is on the dynamic changes of these cells during development, homeostasis, and regeneration, as well as approaches targeting these cells to promote functional tissue repair.
- His second research interest is the standardization and application of mesenchymal stem cells and their products in therapies for diseases related to abnormal immune responses or tissue degeneration. Liu lab established standardized human mesenchymal stem cells from induced pluripotent stem cells with limitless expandability and successfully applied these stem cells and their extracellular vesicles to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases, and radiation damages. Current work is on the mechanisms underlying therapeutic effects of these extracellular vesicles and corresponding approaches to improve therapeutic efficacies.