Qingyun Liu

Dr. Qingyun Liu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine. He holds a PhD in Medical Microbiology and Molecular Epidemiology from Fudan University (2016), with postdoctoral training at Fudan University and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. His research focuses on understanding the evolutionary mechanisms of bacterial pathogens, particularly Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and M. abscessus, through genomic and experimental microbiology approaches. Key areas include drug resistance evolution, pathogen transmissibility, and virulence adaptation.

Dr. Liu’s lab integrates genomic data from clinical isolates with functional experiments to identify mutations driving adaptive traits. Recent work includes discovering antibiotic resilience in Mtb linked to treatment failure and investigating the evolutionary success of Mtb sublineages. His team also explores non-canonical resistance mechanisms and the rise of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections. Collaborative studies involve institutions like Harvard and Fudan University.

Publications highlight contributions to understanding Mtb’s transcriptional plasticity, local adaptation on the Tibetan Plateau, and the genomic basis of drug resistance. His work aims to inform novel diagnostics, vaccines, and interventions to combat tuberculosis and emerging bacterial threats.