Chen Liu, Ph.D.

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Dr. Liu received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience and a Doctoral Excellence Award from Case Western Reserve University where he studied the transcriptional control of brain serotonin (5-HT) neuron development and 5-HT-related mood disorders.

After studying the neurons that produce 5-HT, he went on to explore the neural pathways that mediate the physiological actions of 5-HT. Supported by a fellowship from the Hilda & Preston Davis Foundation, his postdoctoral research focused on 5-HT circuits that regulate food intake and glucose balance.

Dr. Liu joined the faculty of Division of Hypothalamic Research in September 2015. He is currently an Associate Professor (with tenure) in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Neuroscience.

• Antipsychotic drug induced metabolic syndrome
• Brain serotonin and appetitive behaviors
• Genetics of human obesity

Featured Publications

Delineating a serotonin 1B receptor circuit for appetite suppression in mice.

Li L, Wyler SC, León-Mercado LA, Xu B, Oh Y, SwatiChen X, Wan R, Arnold AG, Jia L, Wang G, Nautiyal K, Hen R, Sohn JW, Liu C, J Exp Med 2022 Aug 219 8

Ga_i/o-coupled Htr2c in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus antagonizes the anorectic effect of serotonin agents.

Yoo ES, Li L, Jia L, Lord CC, Lee CE, Birnbaum SG, Vianna CR, Berglund ED, Cunningham KA, Xu Y, Sohn JW, Liu C, Cell Rep 2021 Nov 37 7 109997

The atypical antipsychotic risperidone targets hypothalamic melanocortin 4 receptors to cause weight gain.

Li L, Yoo ES, Li X, Wyler SC, Chen X, Wan R, Arnold AG, Birnbaum SG, Jia L, Sohn JW, Liu C, J Exp Med 2021 Jul 218 7

Comparative Transcriptomic Analyses of Developing Melanocortin Neurons Reveal New Regulators for the Anorexigenic Neuron Identity.

Chen X, Wyler SC, Li L, Arnold AG, Wan R, Jia L, Landy MA, Lai HC, Xu P, Liu C, J. Neurosci. 2020 Apr 40 16 3165-3177

A neural basis for tonic suppression of sodium appetite.

Park S, Williams KW, Liu C, Sohn JW, Nat. Neurosci. 2020 Jan

The atypical antipsychotic olanzapine causes weight gain by targeting serotonin receptor 2C.

Lord CC, Wyler SC, Wan R, Castorena CM, Ahmed N, Mathew D, Lee S, Liu C, Elmquist JK J. Clin. Invest. 2017 Aug

PPARgamma in vagal neurons regulates high-fat diet induced thermogenesis.

Liu C, Bookout AL, Lee S, Sun K, Jia L, Lee C, Udit S, Deng Y, Scherer PE, Mangelsdorf DJ, Gautron L, Elmquist JK. Cell Metab. 2014 19 4 722-30

Serotonin 2C receptors in pro-opiomelanocortin neurons regulate energy and glucose homeostasis.

Berglund ED, Liu C, Sohn JW, Liu T, Kim MH, Lee CE, Vianna CR, Williams KW, Xu Y, Elmquist JK J. Clin. Invest. 2013 Dec 123 12 5061-70

Pet-1 is required across different stages of life to regulate serotonergic function.

Liu C, Maejima T, Wyler SC, Casadesus G, Herlitze S, Deneris ES Nat. Neurosci. 2010 Oct 13 10 1190-8

LEAP2 deletion in mice enhances ghrelin's actions as an orexigen and growth hormone secretagogue.

Shankar K, Metzger NP, Singh O, Mani BK, Osborne-Lawrence S, Varshney S, Gupta D, Ogden SB, Takemi S, Richard CP, Nandy K, Liu C, Zigman JM, Mol Metab 2021 Aug 101327

• Junior Investigator Award
  Chinese American Diabetes Association (2022)
• Grossman Award for Excellence in Diabetes Research
  (2018)
• Scientist Development Award
  American Heart Association (2016)
• Pilot and Feasibility Award
  National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke (2015)
• Scholarship Awards
  Keystone Symposium/Allen Institute for Brain Science (2014)
• Doctoral Excellence Award
  Case Western Reserve University (2011)
• Fellowship Award
  Davis Foundation in Eating Disorder Research (2011)
• The President's Award
  Case Western Reserve University (2008)

• The Obesity Society (2016)
• American Heart Association (2013)
• Sigma Xi (2012)
• Society for Neuroscience (2008)