Faculty & Staff
Chia-Feng Liu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Graduate Faculty II, Basic and Translational Biomedicine
Dr. Chia-Feng Liu earned her Ph.D. in Reproductive and Developmental Biology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2010. Following postdoctoral training in developmental biology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, she joined the Cleveland Clinic Research Institute as a recipient of the David and Lindsay Morgenthaler Endowed Fellowship. She subsequently advanced to Research Associate and Project Scientist in the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences before joining Northeast Ohio Medical University as an Assistant Professor in 2026.
Dr. Liu’s research focuses on the molecular, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms underlying cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, cardiac and skeletal muscle aging, and related comorbidities. Her work has been supported by the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation and the George M. O’Brien Kidney Resource Alliance.
The Liu Laboratory investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) syndrome, aging-associated diseases, and chronic inflammatory disorders. Our research focuses on how inter-organ communication among the heart, kidney, and skeletal muscle contributes to disease progression and functional decline. Using genetically engineered mouse models, multi-omics approaches, molecular biology, epigenetic and transcriptional profiling, and functional phenotyping, we study kidney-heart crosstalk, Bicc1-associated polycystic kidney disease (PKD), cardiac and skeletal muscle aging, sarcopenia, and extracellular vesicle-mediated signaling. Our long-term goal is to identify novel molecular pathways and therapeutic targets that can improve cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, and musculoskeletal health during aging and chronic disease. The laboratory is also committed to mentoring students and fostering collaborative translational research.
- Ph.D., Developmental & Reproduction Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2010.
- American Heart Association, member
- 2026-2027 the George M. O’Brien Kidney Resource Alliance (OKRA) Opportunity Pool Program.
- 2023-2025 The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation Research Award.
- 2013-2016 David and Lindsay Morgenthaler Endowed Fellowship.
- 2019 BCVS New Investigator Travel Award. American Heart Association-Basic Cardiovascular Scientific Sessions,
- 2009 SDB Student/Postdoc Best Poster Award. Awarded by the Society for Developmental Biology.
Liu CF, Leon S, Herrig I, Wessely O, Tang WHW. Generation of Mice Harboring Bicc1 Conditional Null Alleles. Genesis. 2026 Feb;64(1):e70038.
Liu CF, Ni Y, Moravec CS, Morley M, Ashley EA, Cappola TP, Margulies KB, Tang WHW. Whole-Transcriptome Profiling of Human Heart Tissues Reveals the Potential Novel Players and Regulatory Networks in Different Cardiomyopathy Subtypes of Heart Failure. Circ Genom Precis Med. 2021 Feb;14(1):e003142.
Liu CF, Abnousi A, Bazeley P, Ni Y, Morley M, Moravec CS, Hu M, Tang WHW. Global analysis of histone modifications NIH Biographical and long-range chromatin interactions revealed the differential cistrome changes and novel transcriptional players in human dilated cardiomyopathy. J Mol Cell Cardiol. 2020 Aug;145:30-42.
Liu C-F, Ni Y, Thachil V, Morley M, Moravec CS, Tang WHW. Differential Expression of Members of SOX Family of Transcription Factors in Failing Human Heart. Translational Research. 2022 Apr; 242:66- 78 (21)00257-7.
Olson SR, Tang WHW, Liu C-F. Non-Coding Ribonucleic Acids as Diagnostic and Therapeutic Targets in Cardiac Fibrosis. Curr Heart Fail Rep 2024 Jun;21(3):262-275