Ya-Chen LiangView profile
Assistant Professor
Ya-Chen Liang, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Research Pathology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. Her research focuses on understanding the functional organization of genomes and sub-nuclear structures within cell nuclei, particularly how these structures maintain flexibility to respond to biological cues during development and disease pathogenesis. Dr. Liang's primary research interest centers on the spatial regulation of gene clusters, which are widespread in genomes but whose inter-cluster and subnuclear organizations remain poorly understood. Her work integrates state-of-the-art functional genomic, computational, and proteomic approaches to address fundamental questions at the intersection of topological chromatin states and spatial subnuclear protein scaffolds. She has made significant contributions to understanding how keratin gene clusters fold during skin regional specification, the role of SATB2 in keratin gene cluster switching, and the mechanisms underlying pigment pattern formation in avian skin. Analysis of Dr. Liang's publication record reveals a consistent focus on the spatial organization of the genome and its relationship to developmental processes, particularly in skin and integumentary organ development. Her work spans multiple model systems including avian and mammalian models, with a particular emphasis on understanding how chromatin architecture influences tissue-specific gene expression during development and regeneration. A notable trend in her research is the integration of cutting-edge genomic technologies with traditional developmental biology approaches to uncover the principles governing spatial gene regulation. Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan: Overseas Postdoctoral Program for Frontier Technologies, 2014-2016 Dr. Liang's laboratory is actively recruiting graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, indicating her role as a research advisor and mentor. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the available text, her research program appears to be well-established with consistent publication output across multiple high-impact journals. Her collaborative network includes prominent researchers in developmental biology, particularly within the USC research community. Dr. Liang maintains an active research laboratory focused on genomic organization and its role in development. Her work bridges molecular biology, genomics, and developmental biology, creating a unique interdisciplinary approach to understanding how spatial genome organization contributes to tissue-specific gene expression during development and disease.
