Quan LiuView profile
Associate Professor
Quan Liu, M.D., Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), where he has been employed since August 2018. He also serves as Deputy Secretary of the Joint Party Committee of the School of Medicine, Chairman of the Joint Labor Union of the School of Medicine, and Vice Chairman of the Transplant Immunology Professional Committee of the Immunotherapy Engineering Branch of the Chinese Society of Biomedical Engineering. Additionally, he holds the position of Associate Chief Physician at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University. Dr. Liu received his Medical Degree (M.D.) from Harbin Medical University in 2002, followed by surgical training at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from 2002 to 2008, specializing in cardiothoracic surgery. He pursued his Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh, where he spent over 8 years (2009-2017) at the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute studying transplantation immunobiology, inflammation regulation, and immunobiology of IL-33 and regulatory T cells (Treg) with Drs. Heth Turnquist and Adrian Morelli. Dr. Liu's research focuses on three primary areas: (1) Alloantigen presentation in transplantation, (2) Immunobiology of IL-33, Treg and ILC2 in settings of transplantation, inflammation regulation and tumor, and (3) Immunotherapy. His work has made significant contributions to the field of transplant immunology, particularly in elucidating the role of donor dendritic cell-derived exosomes in mediating the semi-direct pathway of alloantigen presentation, revealing the role of intra-allograft recipient-derived dendritic cells in maintaining transplant rejection, and investigating the role of IL-33 in tissue protection during acute lung injury and heart transplant rejection. His research findings have been included in the classic immunology textbook Janeway's Immunobiology (10th Ed, 2022). Dr. Liu's publications demonstrate a strong focus on immunology, particularly transplant immunology, with recurring themes of IL-33, regulatory T cells, and mechanisms of immune regulation in transplantation settings. His work spans from basic immunological mechanisms to potential clinical applications in transplantation and cancer. Provincial Science and Technology Progress Second Prize (2007) Provincial Science and Technology Progress Second Prize (2008) Young Scientist Award at the American Transplant Congress (2013) Distinguished Young Talents project of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University (2017) Dr. Liu has successfully completed a National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Fund project and is currently leading a National Natural Science Foundation of China General Project (2020-2023). He has supervised doctoral students and has been actively involved in teaching undergraduate courses in Biochemistry, Physiology, and Pathophysiology, as well as graduate courses in Immunology. His laboratory at SUSTech has developed advanced research capabilities including over 30 mouse strains (more than 10 developed independently), access to a Seahorse XFe96 cell energy metabolism analyzer, and a CyTOF Helios mass cytometer for advanced immunological studies. Dr. Liu leads a research group at SUSTech focused on tumor immunity and immunotherapy, neuro-immune-metabolic interactions, and transplant immunity. The laboratory has established significant experimental capabilities including over 30 mouse strains (more than 10 developed independently), access to a Seahorse XFe96 cell energy metabolism analyzer for immunometabolism research, and a CyTOF Helios mass cytometer for advanced immunological studies.

