Kaihua Liu
I come from Yantai, a seaside city in north China. I joined the Human toxicology program in the spring of 2018. Before joining the program, I got my bachelor’s degree in public health and my master’s degree in Hygiene Toxicology from Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University. My previous research focused on the mechanism of the liver toxicity of Cr(VI), with an emphasis on mitochondria. My past research experience promoted my interest in toxicology, especially the mechanism study of some environmental contaminants, so I decided to apply to a Ph.D. program to continue my research career and get to know more about the toxicology field.
The University of Iowa’s Human Toxicology program suits me best for several reasons. Firstly, it’s an interdisciplinary program where students can choose classes based on their interests. Secondly, students can do three rotations and choose the lab that they like most, which greatly facilitates a successful and pleasant graduate school journey. Thirdly, the stipend is excellent compared to the living cost in Iowa, which makes us able to enjoy our life in and out of the lab. I have improved a lot since joining the human toxicology program, and I wish to apply what I have learned to save people who are suffering from environment pollutants after graduating.
Advisor: Thomas Rutkowski, Ph.D.
Dissertation: The Role of C/EBP Homologous Protein (CHOP) in Cell Fate Decision and Hepatic Identity Gene Suppression During ER Stress
Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher at Boston Children's Hospital
Publications from Human Toxicology Program Research:
Kaihua Liu, Chaoxian Zhao, D Thomas Rutkowski, A beneficial adaptive role for CHOP in driving cell fate selection during ER stress, bioRxiv, March 2023, 2023.03. 19.533325
Zer Vue, Chia Vang, Neng Vue, Vijayvardhan Kamalumpundi, Taylor Barongan, Bryanna Shao, Sunny Huang, Larry Vang, Mein Vue, Nancy Vang, Jianqiang Shao, CoohleenAnn Coombes, Prasanna Katti, Kaihua Liu, Kailee Yoshimura, Michelle Biete, Dao-Fu Dai, Mark A Phillips, Richard R Behringer, Asian Americans in STEM are not a monolith, Cell, July 2023, 186(15), 3138-3142
Anit Shah, Ian Huck, Kaylia Duncan, Erica R Gansemer, Kaihua Liu, Reed C Adajar, Udayan Apte, Mark A Stamnes, D Thomas Rutkowski, Interference with the HNF4-dependent gene regulatory network diminishes endoplasmic reticulum stress in hepatocytes, Hepatology communications, Nov 2023, 7(11), e0278
Heather K Beasley, V Acktins Ky’Era, Andrea G Marshall, Edgar Garza-Lopez, Celestine Wanjalla, Estevão Scudese, Annet Kirabo, Kaihua Liu, Antentor Hinton, A quick guide to networking for scientists, Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, Nov 2023
Andrea G Marshall, Zer Vue, Heather K Beasley, Kit Neikirk, Dominique Stephens, Celestine N Wanjalla, Steven M Damo, JoAnn Trejo, Piere Rodriguez-Aliaga, Colwyn Ansel Headley, Haysetta Shuler, Kaihua Liu, Nathan Smith, Edgar Garza-Lopez, Taylor Barongan, Estevão Scudese, Elsie Spencer, Jennifer Heemstra, Arnaldo Diaz Vazquez, Sandra A Murray, Antentor Hinton, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Laboratory: Strategies to Enhance Inclusive Laboratory Culture, Molecular cell, Nov 2023, 83(21), 3766-3772
