Dr. Lu Liu’s “why research” story comes from a personal experience. When she was 12, her grandfather suffered from a stroke, and the quality of his life was severely impacted post-surgery, she said. Several of her relatives also suffered from cancer growing up.

“I realized that even if doctors do their best, they can’t solve every problem,” Liu said.

This sparked her decision to study biology at Northeast Normal University in China, where she completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degree. In 2018, Liu started her PhD in cellular and molecular biology at Université Paris Cité in France. 

During her PhD, she was particularly drawn to one project from her lab’s principal investigator. Dr. Nabila Bouatia-Naji worked on a rare vascular disease called fibromuscular dysplasia, a condition where arteries narrow and thicken. It mainly affects young women.

Liu’s project for her PhD thesis was to study this disease, using genetics and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). iPSC technology allowed her to turn adult cells backward into a state where they can then differentiate into any cell type.

After completing her PhD thesis defense in 2022, “I read a lot of articles and I found that the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute is very advanced in this area,” Liu said. “That’s why I came here to continue my postdoc study.”

Liu joined Dr. Nazish Sayed’s lab at the start of 2023, also focusing on iPSC differentiation projects. “I’m doing a different cell type because the disease is different, but I can use the techniques I learned from my PhD, and also I can learn new things here,” Liu said.

In Sayed’s lab, Liu’s main project is on a rare vascular disease called Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS), a genetic disorder that causes fragile blood vessels and organs, often leading to life-threatening bleeding. 

“We not only want to cure the disease with a therapy or drug, but we also want to find broader insights of this,” Liu said, to see if other diseases share similar mechanisms. 

In addition to vEDS, Liu is also working on a project on progeria, also known as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. This rare vascular disease causes children to age rapidly and is always fatal. For this project, Liu is working on genome editing for common variants to determine their impact on cardiovascular disease. 

Liu’s favorite part about Stanford so far has been its atmosphere and environment.

Before, Liu worked at the Paris Cardiovascular Institute, which had researchers not only from the cardiovascular field, but also other fields like cancer, which facilitated learning across specialties.

“Here at Stanford, I really like the cardiovascular area. A lot of people do similar things,” Liu said. “If you need help, you can just ask.”

Whether it be within her own lab or across labs, Liu has found collaboration within the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute helpful for her projects.

Moving forward, Liu’s “ideal” future includes starting her own lab.

“At present, I really want to learn more and more and accumulate more [knowledge],” Liu said. “And then if I have the ability or if there’s an opportunity, I want to start my own lab to start my own research.”

Outside of the lab, Liu enjoys the opportunities a less-urban location affords, such as the ability to go hiking with friends. Her favorite: Mission Peak.