Zhao-Jun Liu

Zhao-Jun Liu, MD., PhD. Dr. Liu is Associate Professor at Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He obtained his PhD. from Osaka University, Japan. His research interests span both vascular biology and cancer biology. His interest in the field of vascular biology has focused on the role of Notch signaling in postnatal neovascularization and vascular diseases, including atherosclerosis. Modulation of the Notch activity in endothelial cells could determine angiogenesis or alter vascular inflammatory response that is crucial to atherosclerosis. In addition, he is investigating the signals and mechanisms governing circulating stem/progenitor cells, such as endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), homing to target tissues via specific attachment of these cells on the endothelium in diseased tissues and subsequent extravasation, for the sake of developing cell-based therapy by targeted delivery of therapeutic cells for the therapeutic angiogenesis to treat critical limb ischemia and non-healing wound. In the field of cancer biology, his research is directed toward elucidation of how dysregulation of the Notch signaling pathway, both in the neoplastic cells and in the tumor stromal cells, leads to melanocytic transformation and melanoma progression. The major goal of his research in this part is to develop novel cancer therapy through targeting the Notch signaling pathway and its down-stream mediator(s), in cancer cells or in tumor microenvironment, for melanoma/cancer treatment. Dr. Liu’s researches are sponsored by federal grants from NIH and state of Florida biomedical research program funding. Dr. Liu has published 60+ research papers, review articles and book chapters.