Liquan Liu

Liquan Liu is a Senior Lecturer and First-Year Experience Officer at the Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney (UTS). He is affiliated with the Faculty of Health and is a member of the INSIGHT: Institute for Innovative Solutions for Wellbeing and Health UTS Research Centre and the UTS LGBTIQA+ Research Network. His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals including Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Good Health and Well Being, Quality Education, and Gender Equality.

• University of Technology Sydney (Current)
• Utrecht Institute of Linguistics OTS at Utrecht University (2008–2014)
• School of Psychology and MARCS BabyLab at Western Sydney University (2015–2024)
• Center for Multilingualism in Society across the Lifespan at the University of Oslo (2019–2021)

Dr. Liu's research focuses on internal and external factors that shape early childhood cognition and development. He examines internal mechanisms such as initial biases, learning processes, and health indicators, alongside external influences including exposure quality, socio-economic status, and human-technology interaction. His recent work spans language development, the interplay between language and emotion, multilingualism and multiculturalism, and children's engagement with technology including digital media and virtual agents. His research employs experimental methods to understand how children learn and how to better support their learning.

His publication record shows a strong focus on infant language perception, tone discrimination across different language backgrounds, social evaluation in infants, and bilingual development. His work often employs cross-linguistic, multi-lab approaches to investigate fundamental questions about language acquisition and cognitive development. Recent publications also extend into clinical psychology domains including eating disorders and alcohol use.

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship awarded by the European Commission
• Vice-Chancellor's Professional Development Scholarship from Western Sydney University
• Foundation of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies from Forest Hill Foundation
• ARC Center of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language Transdisciplinary and Innovation Grant

As an educator, Dr. Liu teaches courses including Developmental Psychology and supervises research projects. He is known for his approachable and engaging teaching style, and enjoys collaborating with students on innovative ideas and projects. His media impact includes articles in The Conversation and Future Makers discussing how lockdowns affected multilingual families and how bilingual babies demonstrate enhanced musical perception.