Xiaorong Liu, PhD

Dr. Xiaorong Liu started her own laboratory in 2008 as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Northwestern University, and now she is an associate professor in the Departments of Biology and Psychology at the University of Virginia. Her research passion lies in deciphering the mechanisms behind retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration in various eye diseases. She is particularly focused on detection of early RGC damage with glaucoma development. In collaboration with Dr. Hao Zhang at Northwestern, she has pioneered a groundbreaking imaging method called the vis-OCT fibergram (vis-OCTF). They are able to identify and quantify alterations in RGC axon bundles across mouse, tree shrew, and human eyes. Moreover, her partnership with Professor Provencio explores the impact of glaucoma on non-visual behaviors governed by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). The interdisciplinary approach not only sheds light on fundamental mechanisms of neurodegeneration but also holds promise for developing novel therapeutic interventions.