Current Research:

Research efforts are directed at developing macromolecule-based therapy to treat genetic and acquired diseases. Current projects include gene therapy for obesity-related metabolic disorders, breast cancer, hemophilia, and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The approach involves DNA sequence analysis, gene cloning, introducing the cloned gene into animals by the method of hydrodynamic gene delivery, and evaluating therapeutic outcomes.
A separate research focus is to develop new and improved methods for gene delivery. The ongoing projects include development of polymer-based carrier for airway gene delivery to the lung, synthesis of bi-functional compounds for target specific gene delivery to the liver, and establishing a clinically applicable procedure for hydrodynamic gene delivery.

Bio:

Dexi Liu is Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He received his BS degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the Lanzhou University of China in 1982, and his PhD degree in Biochemistry from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1990. He completed his postdoctoral training in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry in 1993 at the University of California at Berkeley, and has been a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy since 1993. Dr. Liu is a member of the American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) and the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS). He served on Membership Committee, Nomination Committee, and chaired the Nonviral Gene Transfer Committee (2004-2007) of the ASGT. He has been on the editorial board for Molecular Therapy, Gene Therapy, and on the editor’s advisory board for Pharmaceutical Research. He currently serves as associate editor for the AAPS Journal.