Shihui Liu, MD, PhD

We are using the state-of-the-art multidisciplinary approaches to uncover the basic mechanisms underlying pathogenesis of bacterial protein toxins and engineer these toxins for cancer targeted therapy. We are also interested in uncovering the underlying mechanisms of tumorigenesis and aging and translating those findings into patients. Our current research covers four areas of scientific investigations: (1) Studying the pathogenesis of anthrax toxins and other bacterial protein toxins, developing therapeutics; (2) Using genome-wide genetic approaches to identify host genes required for the actions of bacterial protein toxins, thereby revealing the mechanisms of these toxins in pathogenies; (3) Investigating RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling in cancer, creating and assessing of novel engineered protein toxins and other therapeutics in targeting this pathway in tumor microenvironment; (4) exploring the physiological roles of diphthamide modification on eukaryotic translation elongation factor-2 (eEF2) in life and aging.