Xiaorong Liu

I started my own laboratory in 2008 as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Physiology at Northwestern University. My initial work focused on the postnatal development of the retina, which is the nervous tissue located on the inner surface at the back of the eyeball. In 2011, I was promoted to tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Northwestern, around which time I expanded my research interests to investigate how retinal neurons degenerate in an eye disease called glaucoma.

Glaucoma is characterized by the progressive loss of one type of retinal neurons, the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). It is one of the leading causes of blindness in the U.S. and worldwide, affecting more than 3 million Americans, particularly seniors. If detected and treated early, the progression of glaucoma can be significantly slowed. However, the disease often goes undiagnosed until noticeable vision loss occurs, and that damage is irreversible. Therefore, I am interested in understanding how to detect early signs of neuron damage to better diagnose the disease, how RGCs die in response to disease insults, and how to best preserve vision as the disease progresses.

In 2017, I joined the Departments of Biology and Psychology at the University of Virginia (UVA) and was promoted to tenured Associate Professor in 2020. Currently, my lab mainly focuses on three lines of research: (1) Early detection of retinal damage; (2) Understanding retinal development and degeneration; and (3) Drug delivery to the retina for neuroprotection. Our goal is to continue bridging basic science discoveries with clinical applications to improve patient care and outcomes in Ophthalmology.