About

Simin Liu, MD, ScD, is a Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the UC Irvine Wen Public Health School of Population & Public Health. He also serves as the Director of the Center for Global Cardiometabolic Health & Nutrition and is a Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the UC Irvine School of Medicine. Dr. Liu has worked in the global health space for three decades, establishing a wide variety of collaborative research projects in diverse communities worldwide. His research spans from investigating the genetic basis of cardiometabolic diseases to clinical epidemiology, risk modeling, and interventions in diverse populations, developing the G6P framework that integrates data from multiple platforms for causal inference.

Research topics

• Biology
• Genetics
• Medicine
• Evolutionary biology
• Demography
• Computational biology
• Internal medicine
• Bioinformatics
• Endocrinology
• Environmental health
• Political Science
• Computer Science
• Oncology
• Intensive care medicine
• Pathology
• Gerontology
• Risk analysis (engineering)
• Nursing

Selected publications

• Glycemic and cardiometabolic effects of rare sugars allulose and tagatose: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled human intervention trials

  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2026-04-14

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Allulose and tagatose are rare monosaccharides gaining attention as potential alternatives to added sugars. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of allulose and tagatose supplementation on glycemic, cardiometabolic, and anthropometric outcomes in adults. METHODS: The Medline, Embase, and Cochrane libraries were searched through 30 April, 2025, for controlled human intervention trials reporting the effects of tagatose or allulose on postprandial and fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, blood lipids, uric acid, and anthropometric measures of adiposity in adults. Meta-analyses were conducted using mean differences (MDs) with random-effects models applied to all analyses. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 and Risk of Bias In Nonrandomized Studies-Interventions tools, and the certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. RESULTS: = 96%; P = 0.03; moderate certainty], with no significant effects on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose or insulin, lipids, uric acid, or body composition (very low to moderate certainty). Tagatose intake similarly lowered postprandial glucose [SMD = -1.03 (-1.36, -0.71)] and insulin [SMD = -1.05 (-1.61, -0.49); both moderate certainty] and also reduced HbA1c [MD = -0.25 (-0.44, -0.06); moderate certainty] and fasting insulin [MD = -80.40 (-136.96, -23.84); very low certainty]. No other significant pooled effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Supplementation of allulose or tagatose attenuates postprandial glycemic and insulin responses, albeit with no improvements in blood lipids and body composition. This trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42024567433.

  PublisherDOI

• Endogenous APE1-mediated confined catalytic hairpin assembly for high-contrast imaging of miRNA in living cell enables tumor cell-specific recognition

  Biosensors and Bioelectronics · 2026-04-15

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Green Synthesis of Ca-Doped ZnO Nanosheets with Tunable Band Structure via Cactus-Juice-Mediated Coprecipitation for Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution

  Molecules · 2026-03-26

  articleOpen access

  The development of efficient, stable, and sustainably fabricated photocatalysts for solar-driven hydrogen evolution remains a critical challenge in the field. Herein, we report a novel green coprecipitation strategy to synthesize calcium-doped zinc oxide (Ca-ZnO) nanosheets, utilizing cactus juice as a natural, multifunctional medium for the coprecipitation process. This method enables the in situ, tunable incorporation of 3–7% Ca2+ ions into the wurtzite ZnO lattice without the use of harsh chemical reagents. Comprehensive characterization confirms that Ca2+ substitutionally replaces Zn2+, which preserves the intrinsic crystal structure of ZnO well while inducing the formation of uniform nanosheet morphology. This doping strategy effectively modulates the electronic band structure, progressively narrowing the bandgap from 3.19 eV to 2.90 eV and significantly enhancing visible-light absorption. Crucially, the incorporation of Ca2+ also generates oxygen vacancies, which serve as efficient electron traps to suppress photogenerated charge carrier recombination. The optimized 5%Ca-ZnO photocatalyst demonstrates a favorable hydrogen evolution rate of 889 μmol·g−1·h−1 under full-spectrum irradiation, with stability, retaining 94.8% of its activity after four cycles. This work not only provides a high-performance material but also establishes a generalizable, sustainable paradigm for the design of advanced semiconductor photocatalysts.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A green and efficient degumming method for ramie fibers: Pectate lyase combined with potassium peroxy(mon)sulfate treatment

  International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · 2026-03-13

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Ordered Hierarchical Ni‐N ₄ Carbon Microreactors Enable Localized CO Feeding to Copper for High‐Rate CO ₂ Electroreduction

  Advanced Functional Materials · 2026-04-06

  article

  ABSTRACT Electrocatalytic CO 2 to produce multicarbon products (C 2+ ) by Cu‐based catalysts has long been hindered at high current densities, due to the sluggish mass transport at the electrolyte and catalyst interface. Herein, an ordered hierarchical porous carbon microreactor hosting atomically dispersed Ni sites is rationally designed, enabling outstanding CO 2 penetration and interfacial * CO supply with CO Faradaic efficiency (FE CO ) up to 93.1% over 100 h. Coupling with Cu nanoclusters, the tandem catalyst allows fast CO 2 to CO conversion and CO delivery to Cu interfaces, where localized C‐C coupling and subsequent reduction are promoted, thereby accelerating C 2+ product production. As a result, the as‐made catalyst demonstrates C 2+ product FE (FE C2+ ) up to 73.5% at a high current density of 800 mA cm −2 with a production rate up to 1.93 mmol h −1 cm −2 , which are all much higher than those for bare Cu (FE C2+ : 44.3%; rate: 1.23 mmol h −1 cm −2 ). In situ experiments and theoretical calculations indicate that abundant * CO supply and reduced energy barrier for hydrogenation and C‐C coupling synergistically upgrade intermediate CO to C 2+ products. This work provides a general approach to alleviate the high‐speed mass transportation limitations between electrolyte and catalyst, and eventually boosts efficient C 2+ production from CO 2 at high current density.

  PublisherDOI

• From aligned structures to enhanced performance: a review on freeze-cast hydrogels and functional applications

  Chemical Communications · 2026-01-01

  article

  Traditional hydrogels lack a uniform isotropic network structure, rendering them unsuitable for applications requiring complex mechanical properties. Freeze casting is a kind of self-assembly technology of polymer chains and functional fillers through directional ice crystal growth and a specific ice crystal template. This approach enables the construction of hydrogels with anisotropic multilevel pore structures, providing an effective pathway to overcome performance limitations. This paper provides a systematic review of research progress in freeze casting technology for preparing high-performance hydrogels. The core fabrication processes for hydrogels utilizing this technique are discussed, including template design, key parameter control for directional freezing, and post-processing enhancement strategies. Hydrogel systems incorporating physical crosslinking, chemical crosslinking, and dual crosslinking mechanisms are summarized. Enhancements in the mechanical properties of hydrogels and their applications in biomedicine, flexible electronics, and green cleaning are reviewed. Finally, challenges in cross-scale precision control and industrial-scale reproducible fabrication are addressed, along with future outlook.

  PublisherDOI

• Non-apoptotic death of the <i>C. elegans</i> linker cell is primed by MYRF-1 activation of <i>pqn-41</i> /polyQ

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-12-11 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Linker cell-type death (LCD) is a morphologically conserved non-apoptotic cell-death process with features resembling polyglutamine-dependent neurodegeneration. In C. elegans development, LCD eliminates the male-specific linker cell following its long-range migration. Using single-cell mRNA sequencing of migrating and dying linker cells, we identify myrf-1 , encoding a membrane-bound transcription factor implicated in human developmental disorders, as a key LCD regulator. MYRF-1 translocates to the linker cell nucleus during early migration and, surprisingly, its auxin-inducible degradation then, but not later, blocks LCD. MYRF-1 directly binds known LCD genes, including pqn-41 , encoding an aggregation-prone polyglutamine protein. Deleting a bona fide MYRF-1-binding site within pqn-41 promotes linker cell survival. Our findings reveal that linker cell death is primed well before cell demise takes place, temporally uncoupling death commitment and execution.

  PublisherDOI

• Targeting chaperone-mediated autophagy inhibits properties of glioblastoma stem cells and restores anti-tumor immunity

  Nature Communications · 2025-12-13 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is a selective autophagic process essential for maintaining cellular quality and responding to stress. Dysregulation of the CMA pathway is increasingly recognized in various cancers, yet the mechanisms behind CMA hyperactivation in cancer cells remain unclear. Here, we show that CMA is upregulated in patient-derived glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), indicated by a significant increase in the lysosomal abundance of the CMA receptor, lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 A (LAMP2A). This increase results from MST4-mediated phosphorylation of LAMP2A, enhancing its stability and promoting homotrimer formation while inhibiting degradation by Cathepsin A. CMA supports GSC proliferation and self-renewal by activating mTORC1 through the selective degradation of its negative regulators, TSC1 and TSC2. Additionally, CMA is involved in epigenetic silencing of the cGAS-STING pathway, promoting tumor immune escape via lysosomal degradation of the DNA demethylase TET3. Inhibition of CMA synergizes with immune checkpoint therapy in glioblastoma models, highlighting a potential therapeutic target. Chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) is often dysregulated in cancer, but its mechanisms remain unclear. This study reveals that MST4- mediated LAMP2A phosphorylation regulates CMA by stabilizing lysosomal LAMP2A, thereby promoting GBM tumorigenicity and immune evasion.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Mass spectrometry techniques for pharmaceutical analysis without sample pretreatment

  Chinese Science Bulletin (Chinese Version) · 2025-11-01

  articleOpen access

  药物是人类对抗疾病、维护健康的重要保障。药物分析在药物质量控制、疗效评价等过程中发挥着关键的作用。广泛采用的经典药品分析方法包括光谱法、高效液相色谱-质谱法(HPLC-MS)、气相色谱-质谱法(GC-MS)、核磁共振波谱（NMR）、电化学方法等。在实际生产中，相关分析方法存在易受多组分干扰、样品预处理时间长、整体分析效率低等缺点。近年来，直接质谱分析技术因具有无需样品预处理、分析速度快、灵敏度高、适用性强等特点，可在保持色质联用技术性能的同时直接分析各种常见样品，极大的缩短分析时间，提高分析速率，在药物分析领域中发挥着重要的作用。本文主要介绍了不同类别的直接质谱分析技术及其在药物分析中的应用，旨在为研究人员介绍不同直接质谱分析技术的分析特点，在药代动力学分析、化药分析、中药分析等方面提供参考。

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Dietary manganese, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease: A UK Biobank cohort study and meta-analysis of over 270,000 individuals

  The journal of nutrition health & aging · 2025-12-10

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVES: To examine the association of dietary Manganese (Mn) intake with type 2 diabetes (T2D) incidence, total cardiovascular disease (CVD), and CVD mortality by analyzing data from the UK Biobank and conducting a meta-analysis of available prospective cohorts. DESIGN: Prospective analysis of a primary cohort with a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohorts. SETTING: The UK Biobank cohort and the meta-analysis of prospective cohorts. PARTICIPANTS: UK Biobank participants aged 40-69 years at baseline were enrolled between 2006 and 2010 and followed until December 2022. We included 165,194 participants in T2D analytic cohort and 164,111 individuals in CVD analytic cohort. Our systematic review and meta-analysis of six studies comprised over 270,000 participants. EXPOSURE: Dietary manganese (Mn) intake. MEASUREMENTS: The outcome measurements were T2D incidence, total CVD, and CVD mortality. Dietary intake was assessed using 24-h dietary instrument. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess associations of Mn intake with T2D and CVD risk. Effect estimates were presented in hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In meta-analysis, a pooled risk for a 1 mg/day increase in Mn intake was estimated using restricted maximum likelihood (REML). RESULTS: = 0·66). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis suggested that increasing Mn intake may lower T2D risk, potentially exhibiting a dose-response non-linear pattern, although not corroborated by UK Biobank analysis.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Environmental heavy metals and risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

  NIH · $695k · 2020–2025

• NIH Grant P50AI039461

  NIH · $8.4M · 2007

• NIH Grant R01DK066401

  NIH · $2.7M · 2012

• NIH Grant R01DK062290

  NIH · $2.6M · 2010

• NIH Grant R21DK084452

  NIH · $445k · 2012

Frequent coauthors

• JoAnn E. Manson

  Brigham and Women's Hospital

  1142 shared

• Charles B. Eaton

  Kent Hospital

  450 shared

• Karen L. Margolis

  HealthPartners

  342 shared

• Rebecca D. Jackson

  The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

  308 shared

• Lesley F. Tinker

  Fred Hutch Cancer Center

  303 shared

• Yiqing Song

  State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology

  294 shared

• Lawrence S. Phillips

  263 shared

• X. Zhang

  Ningbo University

  256 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Environmental Health Sciences

  University of California, Los Angeles

  2002

• M.S., Environmental Health Sciences

  University of California, Los Angeles

  1998

• B.S., Environmental Health Sciences

  University of California, Los Angeles

  1996

Awards & honors

• Swedish Fellowship, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden…
• Physician Scientist Development Award (K08), National Instit…
• Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA) (2004)
• Elected Member, American Society of Clinical Investigation (…
• Elected Member, American Epidemiological Society (AES) (2012…