Fu-Tong Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

Fu-Tong Liu M.D. Ph.D.

The chair of the department, Dr. Fu-Tong Liu, is internationally known for discovering several of the galectin family members, which play key roles in many physiological and pathological processes. Under Dr. Liu's leadership the department has grown rapidly in size and prestige and is currently ranked tenth among all dermatology departments in the country in terms of total NIH awards. Prior to coming to UC-Davis Dr. Liu was the head of the division of Allergy at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.

Title: Chair of Dermatology

Specialty: Dermatology

Phone: (916) 734-6795

Undergraduate Education: National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, B.S. 1970

Graduate Education: University of Chicago, Chicago IL, Ph.D. 1976

Medical Education: University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, M.D. 1987

Residency: University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California 1990-93, Dermatology

Board Certifications:
American Board of Dermatology. 1993

Professional Memberships:
Association of American Physicians
American Academy of Dermatology
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association of Immunologists
American Chemical Society
American Society for Clinical Investigation
American Society for Investigative Pathology
Society of Investigative Dematology

Positions and Employment

1979-1982	Assistant Member, Department of Cellular and Developmental Immunology, Research Institute of Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, CA
1982-1990	Associate Member to Member, Department of Immunology, Med. Biology Institute, La Jolla
1990-1996	Associate Member/Head, Allergy Research Section, Dept. of Molecular & Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
1993-2001	Member, Division of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, CA
1996-2001	Member and Head, Division of Allergy, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology
2001-present	Professor and Chair, Department of Dermatology, University of California, Davis, CA

Honors

1979-1980 National Research Service Award

1982-1987 Leukemia Society of America Scholar Award

1985-1989 NIH Allergy and Immunology Study Section

1988-present Member, American Society for Clinical Investigation

1993-1997 NIH Immunology and Transplantation Research Committee

1993-1997 Associate Editor, Journal of Clinical Investigation

1994, 1995 Dermatology Foundation Research Award

2004-present Member, Association of American Physicians

Selected Peer-reviewed Publications (from a total of 170 original research articles and 26 reviews)

Kuwabara, I., Kuwabara, Y., Yang, R.-Y., Schuler, M., Green, D.R., Hsu, D.K., and Liu, F.-T. Galectin-7 (PIG1:p53-induced gene 1) exhibits pro-apoptotic function through JNK activation and mitochondrial cytochrome c release. J. Biol. Chem. 277:3487-3497, 2002.

Beatty, W.L., Rhoades, E.R., Hsu, D.K., Liu, F.-T., and Russell, D.G. Association of a macrophage galactosie-binding protein with mycobacterium-containing phagosomes. Cell Microbiol. 4:167-176,2002.

Liu, F.-T. Galectins: Novel anti-inflammatory drug targets. Expert Opin. Ther. Targets. 6:461-468, 2002.

Liu, F.-T., Patterson, R.J., and Wang, J.L. Intracellular functions of galectins. Biochim Biophys Acta 1572:263-273, 2002.

Mayr, S.I, Zuberi, R.I., Zhang, M., de Sousa-Hitzler, J., Ngo, K., Kuwabara, Y., Yu, L., Fung-Leung, W.-P., and Liu, F.-T. IgE-dependent mast cell activation potentiates airway responses in murine asthma models. J. Immunol. 169:2061-8, 2002.

Cao, Z., Said, N., Amin, S., Wu, H.K., Bruce, A., Garate, M., Hsu, D.K., Kuwabara, I., Liu, F.-T., and Panjwani, N. Galectins-3 and -7, but not galectin-1, play a role in re-epithelialization of wounds. J. Biol.Chem. 277:42299-305, 2002.

Sano, H., Hsu, D.K., Apgar,J.R., Yu, L., Sharma, B.B., Kuwabara, I., Izui, S., and Liu, F.-T. Critical role of galectin-3 in phagocytosis by macrophages. J. Clin. Invest. 112:389-97. 2003.

Kuwabara, I. Sano, H., Liu, F.-T. Functions of galectins in cell adhesion and chemotaxis. Methods in Enzymol. 363:532-52, 2003.

Hsu, D.K. and Liu, F.-T. Regulation of cellular homeostasis by galectins. Glycoconjugate J. 19:507-15, 2004.

Hoyer, K.K., Pang, M., Gui, D., Shintaku, P., Kuwabara, I., Liu, F.-T., Said, J.W., Baum, L.G., Teitell, M.A. An anti-apoptotic role for galectin-3 in diffuse large B cell lymphomas. Am J Pathol. 164:893-902, 2004.

Yang, R.Y., Hsu, D.K., Yu, L., Chen, H.-Y., and Liu, F.-T. Galectin-12 is Required for Adipogenic Signaling and Adipocyte Differentiation. J. Biol. Chem.279:29761-6, 2004.

Ueda, S., Kuwabara, I. and Liu, F.-T. Suppressive effect of galectin-7 on tumor growth. Cancer Research, 64:5672-6, 2004.

Hahn, H.P., Pang, M., He, J., Li, L.Y., Yang, R.-Y., Wang, X, Liu, F.-T. and Baum, L.G. Endonuclease G translocation in galectin-1 induced T cell death; a novel caspase- and cytochrome c-independent death pathway. Cell Death Diff. 11:1277-86 , 2004.

Zuberi, R. Hsu, D.K., Kalayci, O., Chen, H.-Y., Sheldon, H.K., Yu, L., Apgar, J., Kawakami, T., Lilly, C.M., and Liu, F.-T. Critical role for galectin-3 in airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a murine model of asthma. Am J Path, 165:2045-53, 2004.

Liu, F.-T. Double Identify: galectins may not function as lectins inside the cell Trends Glycosci Glycotech. 16:255-264, 2004.

Liu, F.-T. and Rabinovich, G.A. Galectins as novel modulators of tumor progression. Nature Reviews Cancer, 5:29-41, 2005.

Fukushima, A., Ozaki, A. Jian, Z., Ishida, W., Fukata, K., Liu, F.-T., Ueno, H. Dissection of antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses for the development of experimental immune-mediated blepharoconjunctivitis (EC) in C57BL/6 mice. Curr Eye Res, 30: 241-8, 2005.

Liu, F.-T. Regulatory roles of galectins in the immune response. Int. Arch. Allergy Immunol. 136:385-400, 2005.