Patricia Chia-Ying Liaw is a Professor of Medicine at McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. She serves as an Instructor for MEDSCI 733: Vascular Diseases, Haemostasis and Thrombosis II and previously taught HTHSCI 2K03: Inquiry II: Cell Biology. Her academic career spans over three decades with continuous scholarly activity from 1992 to present. Dr. Liaw's primary research focuses on the intersection of sepsis, coagulation disorders, and immunothrombosis. Her work investigates how cell-free DNA, histones, and other damage-associated molecular patterns contribute to coagulopathy in sepsis. She has pioneered research on the protein C pathway, heparin mechanisms, and microfluidic diagnostic devices for sepsis prognosis. Her laboratory studies employ murine models of sepsis to examine therapeutic interventions including DNase and heparin variants. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a consistent focus on sepsis pathophysiology, with particular emphasis on sex differences in treatment response, age-related variations in host response, and development of novel diagnostic approaches. Her work bridges basic science with clinical applications, as evidenced by her participation in developing clinical consensus statements for managing antithrombotic therapy in infected patients. Dr. Liaw has made significant contributions to understanding how extracellular DNA and histones drive immunothrombosis in sepsis, with implications for therapeutic interventions targeting these pathways. Her research demonstrates strong translational potential with multiple studies examining practical diagnostic devices and treatment protocols. Her scholarly impact is substantial, with numerous publications cited across various platforms including news outlets, social media, and clinical guideline sources. Many of her papers have been referenced in patents, Wikipedia pages, and clinical practice guidelines, demonstrating the real-world impact of her work.
