Chuan-ju Liu, whose research explores factors underlying metabolism disorders and inflammation, with an emphasis on arthritis and osteoporosis, was recently appointed the Charles W. Ohse Professor of Orthopaedics, effective July 1.
He came to the Yale School of Medicine from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, where he worked from 2002 to 2023. At the Grossman School he held various positions, including assistant professor, associate professor with tenure, and full professor of orthopaedic surgery and cell biology.
Liu earned his Ph.D. in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at Shandong University and the Chinese Academy of Science. Later, he was a postdoctoral associate at Yale School of Medicine.
His primary research focuses on understanding the roles of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, metalloproteinases, and extracellular matrix proteins, as well as their interaction networks. In his work, he aims to elucidate the pathways through which these molecules contribute to inflammation, aging of joints and bones, and skeletal diseases. Specifically, he concentrates on musculoskeletal metabolism disorders and inflammaging, a chronic, low-grade inflammation associated with aging that increases the risk of multiple diseases.
Liu has contributed to more than 200 peer-reviewed research papers published in esteemed journals, including Science, Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, The EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Journal, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
His research has been also recognized by multiple national and international organizations, including the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research’s Harold M. Frost Award; the Arthritis Foundation’s Dorothy W. Goldstein Award; a Kappa Delta Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; the Ethelmae Haldan Award for Innovative Science in Osteoarthritis Research from Arthritis National Research Foundation; and the Basic Research Award from American College of Rheumatology.
