Zhi-Ping Liu

Zhi-Ping Liu is a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she leads research in the Division of Cardiology and Molecular Biology. Her work bridges cardiovascular disease and cancer, with a focus on epigenetic mechanisms mediated by histone lysine demethylases (KDM) and matricellular proteins.

• B.S. in Computer Science, University of Science and Technology of China
• M.S. in Biochemistry, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry
• Ph.D. in Biophysics, UT Southwestern

Her research spans transcriptional and molecular mechanisms in hypertensive and ischemic heart disease, prostate cancer, and epigenetic control. She investigates:

• Role of KDM4A/KDM3A in cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis
• Tumor suppressive function of LZTFL1 in gastric and lung cancers
• Development of KDM4B inhibitors (e.g., B3) for prostate cancer therapeutics
• Pathogenic role of Cilp1 in myocardial fibrosis and heart failure

Her recent publications highlight epigenetic reprogramming, androgen receptor signaling, and ECM dynamics, with translational focus on drug development and disease mechanisms.

She has continuously secured grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH), Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), and NCI R41 STTR. Her lab collaborates with experts like Drs. Jung-mo Ahn (UT Dallas), Jer-Tsong Hsieh (UTSW), and Elisabeth Martinez (UTSW) to advance KDM-targeted therapies through Raphael Pharmaceuticals LLC.

Dr. Liu has trained numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, including Qun Wei (Zhejiang University), Hao Li (Nanjing Medical University), and Wen Zhou (Takeda Pharmaceuticals). Her work is disseminated through leadership roles in AHA Review Committees, NIH Study Sections, and as a journal reviewer for Circulation Research, Cancer Research, and JCI.