PEOPLE & TRAINING
Different paths. One shared standard.
We are scientists at different career stages, united by curiosity, rigor, generosity, and the belief that excellent mentoring is part of excellent science.
WHAT WORKING HERE MEANS
Ambitious, mechanism-driven science
Questions that connect basic biology to human health
Individual growth with team support
Increasing ownership, frequent feedback, shared problem-solving
A path beyond the current position
Communication, funding, leadership and career development
CURIOSITY
RIGOR
GENEROSITY
INDEPENDENCE
Chen Liu Ph.D.
The Liu Lab studies how the brain develops and uses neural circuits to control appetite, glucose balance, and whole-body metabolism. The group combines human genetics, engineered mouse models, single-cell genomics, circuit neuroscience, and metabolic physiology.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
CL
Our goal is to help each scientist develop the judgment, communication skills, and intellectual ownership required to lead meaningful work.
CENTER FOR HYPOTHALAMIC RESEARCH, DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
DEPARTMENT OF NEUROSCIENCE, PETER O'DONNELL JR. BRAIN INSTITUTE
NEUROSCIENCE GRADUATE PROGRAM, MOLECULAR METABOLISM & DISEASES TRACK
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Meet the people moving the work forward
Our team brings complementary experience to shared questions in neural development, appetite, and metabolic health.
CURRENT TEAM
SW
Swati M.S.
Research Associate and Lab manager
Rong Wan M.S.
Research Associate
ZW
BX
Baijie Xu Ph.D.
Instructor AHA Career Development Awardee
RW
Zan Wu Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
MC
Meilin Chen Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Training is an active part of the research.
01 Own a consequential question
Build projects around important problems in neuroscience, metabolism, and medicine—not simply a technique.
MENTORING FOR INDEPENDENCE
02 Think across biological scales
Learn to connect genes and cell identity with neural activity, physiology, behavior, and disease.
03 Communicate with precision
Develop the writing, presentation, and grant skills needed to make rigorous science visible and useful.
04 Grow toward independence
Take increasing intellectual ownership while gaining the feedback, resources, and advocacy needed for the next stage.
Prospective trainees should be able to see not only what we study, but how they can grow while studying it.
Progress that points toward the next stage
Awards and placements matter because they reflect increasing scientific ownership, visibility, and readiness to lead.
RECENT OUTCOMES
2026
Li Li launches an independent lab as Assistant Professor at the University of Wyoming.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Baijie Xu advances to Instructor and receives an AHA Career Development Award.
FACULTY TRANSITION
2025
SELECTED TRAINEE RECOGNITION
AHA fellowships and career development awards
UTSW basic science and travel awards
Conference oral and poster awards
Faculty placements with start-up support
Many destinations. A continuing community.
Former lab members have continued into faculty, medicine, analytics, and additional scientific training.
ALUMNI
LL
Li Li Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming
Xiameng Chen M.D.
Associate Professor, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University
JZ
Jing Zhu Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
XC
FACULTY
FACULTY
FACULTY
MEDICINE
XL
Xiujuan Li M.D.
Physician, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, Wuhan, China
ANALYTICS
AA
Amanda Arnold B.S., M.B.A.
Manager of Ambulatory Analytics, UT Southwestern
Early research trainees
STARS AND NIDDK-STEP PARTICIPANTS
Aakashi Kothari, 2017 STARS
Brian Zhou, 2018 STARS
Khyathi Thallapureddy, 2019 STARS
Christopher Dao, 2020 STARS
Eman Khan, 2022 STARS
Alexandra Serrato, 2022 NIDDK-STEP
Molewaoluwa Omotoso, 2023 STARS
Peter Hasik, 2026 STARS
Dias Mattew, B.S.
Daiyan Chowdhury, B.S.
JOIN THE LIU LAB
Bring your curiosity. Build your independence.
We welcome inquiries from UTSW graduate students interested in research rotations and from postdoctoral researchers who want to connect neuroscience, genetics, metabolism, and medicine. Trainees receive rigorous scientific guidance, increasing intellectual ownership, and active support for communication, funding, and career development.