Dr. Liu’s laboratory research focuses on oxidative stress, aging, and aging-related diseases, mainly Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Her lab is interested in the etiologies and pathogeneses as well as the development of therapeutics for the treatment of these diseases. Specifically, the lab is interested in the mechanism and biological significance of depletion of glutathione (GSH), the most abundant intracellular free thiol and an important antioxidant, during aging and in IPF; the mechanisms whereby plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), a physiological inhibitor of urokinase type and tissue type plasminogen activators, promotes cell senescence, aging, and fibrosis as well as the therapeutic potential of small molecule of PAI-1 inhibitors for the treatment of lung fibrotic diseases; and Interaction between genetic and environmental factors as well as aging in the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
