Associate Professor
Associate Professor Lu Liu
BSc (Pharmacology): Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, China
MSc (Pharmacology): Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, China
PhD (Pharmacology): Monash University, Australia
Medicine & Health
School of Medical Sciences
A/Prof Liu’s research aims to uncover the causes of and develop therapeutics for gastrointestinal and urinary bladder diseases. A/Prof Liu has more than 20 years of research experience in inflammatory bowel disease, slow transit constipation, diverticular disease and irritable bowel syndrome. In recent years, her research interests have expanded to include bladder urothelium function, overactive bladder and urinary tract infection.
Dr Liu completed her PhD in Pharmacology at Monash University in 1998 and received the prestigious Mollie Holman Medal for Thesis Excellence. From 1998-2005, Liu worked as a post-doctoral research associate and a senior NHMRC research officer in the gastrointestinal and bladder research field at UNSW. During this period, she received 1 young investigator award at an international meeting on gastrointestinal motility and 1 ASCEPT Denis Wade Johnson & Johnson New Investigators Award. In 2006, Dr Liu took up an academic position and became a Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology, UNSW and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2009 and Associate Professor in 2015.
As a Chief or Sole Investigator, A/Professor Liu has been successful in attracting external research funding, including 4 NHMRC project grants, and support from clinical collaborators and philanthropy with a total of ~$3 million. A/Prof Liu's extensive experience in the study of physiological functions and diseases of the gastrointestinal and urinary bladder systems has attracted national and international collaborations, and published many co-authored papers. Her international research profile is highlighted by invitations to give keynote and symposium speeches at national and international conferences.
- Publications
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- UNSW and Shanghai Jiao Tong University Seed Grant (CIA): “The role of non-neuronal acetylcholine in gastrointestinal inflammation”. 2016
- Menarini Pharmaceutical Group (Sole CI) “Insight into gender related differences in therapeutic outcome of patients with irritable bowel syndrome”. 2014-2015
- NHMRC project grant 1048885 (CIA) “Mechanisms of ATP release from gastrointestinal epithelium”. 2013-2016
- UNSW Goldstar Award (CIC): “Inflammatory bowel disease and serotonin transport in the GI tract”
- NHMRC project grant 568861 (CIB): Hemokinin - a new inflammatory mediator in the intestine. 2009-2012
- UNSW Faculty Research Grant Program (CIB): “Understanding human intestinal diseases by correlating markers of serotonin metabolism and release”. 2009
- NHMRC project grant 510202 (CIB): “The knotty problem of enterochromaffin cells and gastro-intestinal function: Unravelling cause and effect”. 2008-2010
- UNSW Faculty Research Grant Program (Sole CI): “New prospects of mucins: potential role in the pathophysiology of colonic neuromuscular disorder”. 2007
- UNSW Faculty Research Grant Program (Sole CI): “Interaction between prostaglandins and enteric nervous system in human colon. 2006
- Rebecca Cooper Medical Research Foundation (Sole CI): Vanilloid receptors in the aged human bladder: relevance to excessive signalling of bladder fullness in urge incontinence” 2005.
- UNSW Faculty Research Grant Program (Sole CI). Novel tachykinin receptors in Australian lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri. 2004
- UNSW Goldstar Award (CIB): “Novel tachykinin receptors in non-mammals. 2004
- NHMRC Project grant 222739 (CIB): Mechanisms of action of neurochemicals and modulators in human intestine. 2003-2005
- UNSW Research Support Program (Sole CI) “Vanilloid receptors in the human bladder: relevance to urge incontinence”. 2002
2021 SoMS Paper of the Month Award: Front Pharmacol. doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.682520
2019 SoMS Paper of the Month Award: J Gastroenterol. doi.org/10.1007/s00535-019-01610-9
2016 UNSW Vice Chancellor Teaching Award
2016 Symposium organiser and chair, Joint ASCEPT-MPGPCR conference. Nov Melbourne.
2015 Symposium organiser and chair, Joint APSA-ASCEPT Scientific Meeting. Nov, Hobart.
2015 Invited symposium speaker: 7th National Symposium on Advances in Urogenital and Gut Research, Sept Adelaide
2015 Invited keynote speaker at the International Conference on Gastrointestinal Therapeutics (Gastro-2015), Aug, Valencia, Spain.
2013 SoMS Paper of the Month Award: Neurogastroenterol Motil. doi: 10.1111/nmo.12130
2012 SoMS Teaching Award for Contribution to the Student Experience
2012 Conference Convener for the Fourth National Symposium on Advances in Urogenital and Gut Research
2011 SoMS Paper of the Month Award. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. doi: 10.1124/jpet.111.186155
2011 Invited symposium speaker. Australian Neuroscience Society Annual Conference, Auckland, NZ.
2010 The organiser for the Second Enteric Nervous System Workshop
2010 Winner of Young Investigator Award, International Neurogastroenterology and Motility Meeting, Boston, USA
2009 Invited speaker at the Gut Symposium of ASCEPT Conference, Sydney.
2004 Invited speaker at the International Symposium on Peptide Receptors-from gene to therapy, Montréal, Canada
2002 Winner of ASCEPT Travel Grant to attend IUPHAR congress, San Francisco, USA
2002 ASCEPT Denis Wade Johnson & Johnson New Investigator Award
1998 Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal (Monash University) for best PhD thesis
Society Memberships & Professional Activities:
- Member of the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT)
- Member of the Australian Neuroscience Society (ANS)
- Member of the International Continence Society (ICS)
- Panel member of the ASCEPT Gastrointestinal-urogenital Special Interest Groups
My Research Supervision
- Jenane Konesan, PhD student
- Sichong Meng, Hons student
- Travis Pavlovski, Hons student
- Jenny (Zhiqing) Wang, Hons student
- Irit Markus, Research assistant
Lab alumni
- Zhinoos Taidi, PhD
- Hafiz Sana-Ur-Rehman, PhD
- Stelina Drimousis, Hons, PhD
- Erica Diezmos, Hons, PhD
- Forough (Flair) Bahadory, PhD
- Lisa (Liying) Dai, PhD
- Patrick Hawker, Hons
- Ken Ee Teoh (Med Hons)
- Nathalie Cheng (Med Hons)
- Jason Chandra, Hons
- Tommy Zhou, Hons
- Lilian Zhang, Hons
- Purinat Laungtawatkul, Hons
- Cassandra Liang, Hons
- Kiran Pawar, Hons
- Kate Cranswick, Hons
- Saira Chahrour, Hons
- Swastika Shivangni, Hons
- Nabila Hussain, Hons
- Huy Le, ILP
- Yong Sul Kim, ILP
- Joe Li, ILP
- Karan Rao, ILP
- Olle Johansson, Visiting Scholar
- Juan Li, Visiting Scholar
- Jian Ji, Visiting Scholar
- Jing Du, Visiting Scholar
My Teaching
A/Prof Liu has contributed to the development and designing of undergraduate courses, including:
- PHAR 2011 Introductory Pharmacology and Toxicology
- PHAR 3102 Molecular Pharmacology
- PHAR 3111 Clinical Pharmacology for Health and Exercise Science
- PHAR 3306 Pharmacology for Optometry
- NEUR2201 Neuroscience Fundamentals
Currently, A/Prof Liu convenes PHAR 2011 Introductory Pharmacology and Toxicology and SOMS4888-SOMS4884 School of Medical Sciences Honours, and teaches medical science and medicine courses:
- PHAR 2011 Introductory Pharmacology and Toxicology
- PHAR 3102 Molecular Pharmacology
- PHAR 3111 Clinical Pharmacology for Health and Exercise Science
- PHAR 3306 Pharmacology for Optometry
- NEUR2201 Neuroscience Fundamentals
- PHAR3202 Neuropharmacology
- PHAR3306 Pharmacology for Optometry
- PHSL3211 Cardiovascular Physiology
- PHSL3221 Endocrine, Reproductive and Developmental Physiology
- NEUR2201 Neuroscience Fundamentals
- MFAC2514-6 Phase II Adult Health 1:
- MFAC1521 Beginnings, Growth and Development A