Huiping Liu

Huiping Liu, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Medicine (Hematology and Oncology) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She directs the Liu laboratory, which investigates circulating tumor stem cell (CTSC) clusters in breast cancer metastasis, therapy resistance, and immune evasion using single-cell multi-omics, CRISPR/Cas9, and machine learning. Her work bridges basic science and clinical translation through partnerships with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.

Education:

• MD, Fourth Military Medical University, China (1995)
• PhD, University of Chicago (2006)

Dr. Liu's research centers on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of circulating tumor stem cell clusters. Her laboratory employs cutting-edge single-cell multi-omic profiling and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to unveil tumor cell-immune cell interactions during metastasis. A key focus is developing machine and deep learning approaches for biomarker-guided therapeutics screening and targeted delivery using antibodies and exosomes. This work has significant implications for overcoming therapy resistance in triple-negative breast cancer and other aggressive subtypes through novel targeting of CD81-CD44 interactions and exosome-based delivery systems.

Analysis of Dr. Liu's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a dominant focus on breast cancer metastasis mechanisms, particularly the role of circulating tumor cell clusters and exosomes in therapy resistance. Her work integrates computational biology with experimental models to identify novel therapeutic targets including Plexin-B2 and membrane proteins involved in cluster formation. The research spans oncology, immunology, and bioinformatics, with increasing emphasis on AI-driven drug discovery and liquid biopsy applications for precision oncology in metastatic disease.

Scientific Awards:

• Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago Investigator (2024)
• Co-Leader, ACS Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (2024)
• Elected Member, American Society for Clinical Investigation (2023)
• Cancer Stem Cell Consortium Award, American Cancer Society (2023)

Dr. Liu serves as Co-Leader of the ACS Cancer Stem Cell Consortium and Co-chair of the annual Cancer Stem Cell Conference, fostering national collaborations. She holds editorial roles at eLife and participates in AACR meeting leadership. Her laboratory partners with multidisciplinary teams for translational research and clinical trials, including therapeutic commercialization through ExoMira Medicine, Inc., where she holds ownership interests. Current grants include support from the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub and American Cancer Society for developing exosome-based therapeutics and AI-driven biomarker discovery.

The Liu laboratory operates within Northwestern's Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center and Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, utilizing advanced core facilities for single-cell analysis and bioinformatics. The team collaborates extensively with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine to develop machine learning pipelines for therapeutic screening and with clinical oncologists for biomarker validation in ongoing trials.