Dazhi LIU, Distinguished Professor in the Institute of Cell and Gene Technology at SUAT, previously served as a faculty member at the University of California, Davis. He is internationally recognized for proposing the original academic concept of "Aberrant Cell Cycle Diseases (ACCD)", which reveals the shared pathological basis between neurological disorders and cancer-aberrant cell cycle re-entry. This theory provides a new scientific framework for understanding neurological diseases and opens innovative avenues for neurological drug discovery.

Based on the ACCD framework, Liu established a research program "Leveraging cancer elements (tumor-suppressive miRNA enhancers and oncogene/kinase inhibitors) to treat neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury, ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, and Alzheimer's disease". The Liu team has consistently been at the forefront of research on tumor-suppressive element therapy for neurological diseases, achieving a series of pioneering breakthroughs. A series of research and teaching achievements include securing two NIH R01 grants, filing three patents, publishing over 70 peer-reviewed papers, developing an undergraduate course, and mentoring more than 10 medical PhD students and postdoctoral fellows.

Leveraging cancer elements (tumor-suppressive miRNA enhancers and oncogene/kinase inhibitors) to treat neurological disorders

Education Background

2002-2005, PhD.,Pharmacology,Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica,Shanghai

1999-2002, MS.,Pharmacology,Tongji Medical University,Wuhan

1994-1998, BS.,Pharmacy,Anhui Traditional Medicine University, Hefei

Professional Experience

2020-2025, Full Professor,University of California,Davis

2016-2020, Associate Professor,University of California,Davis

2010-2016, Assistant Research Professor,University of California,Davis

2006-2010, Post-doc Scholar,University of California,Davis

Research Projects:

2015-2020: NIH R01 Sole PI Role of Kinase Src in Brain Injury

2020-2025: NIH R01 Sole PI MicroRNA Therapeutics for Brain Injury

Representative Publications:

1.Lui A, Do T, Alzayat O, Yu N, Phyu S, Santuya HJ, Liang B, Kailash V, Liu D, Inslicht SS, Shahlaie K, Liu DZ （Senior and Corresponding Author）. Tumor Suppressor MicroRNAs in Clinical and Preclinical Trials for Neurological Disorders. Pharmaceuticals, 2024 Mar 27;17(4):426. PMID: 38675388

2.Ye Z, Izadi A, Gurkoff GG, Rickerl K, Sharp FR, Ander BP, Bauer AZ, Lui A, Lyeth BG, Liu DZ （Senior and Corresponding Author）. Combined Inhibition of Fyn and c-Src Protects Hippocampal Neurons and Improves Spatial Memory via ROCK after Traumatic Brain Injury. J Neurotrauma. 2022 Apr;39(7-8):520-529. PMID: 35109711

3.Liu DZ （First Inventor), Lyeth B. Martin R, Shahlaie K. Methods (of Using Abemaciclib) for Treating Brain Injury. (Patent)

https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2023107428A1/en

4.Liu DZ （First Inventor), Lyeth B. Martin R, Shahlaie K. Methods (of Using Dasatinib) for Treating Brain Injury. (Patent)

https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2023097071A2/en

5.Liu DZ （Sole Inventor）. Methods (of MicroRNA Therapy) for Treating Brain Injury. (Patent) https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2019165267A1/en

6.Lv B, Cheng XY, Sharp FR, Ander BP, Liu DZ （Senior and Corresponding Author）. Broad therapeutic window of miR-122 mimic to improve stroke outcome through indirect inhibition of NOS2. Front. Neurosci. 2018;12:767. PMID: 30405345

7.Liu DZ （First and Corresponding Author),Ander BP, Cell Cycle Inhibition without Disruption of Neurogenesis is a Strategy for Treatment of Aberrant Cell Cycle Diseases: an Update. ScientificWorldJournal. 2012; 2012:491737. PMID: 22547985