Edison T. Liu is an American chemist who is the former president and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory, and the former director of its NCI-designated Cancer Center (2012-2021). Before joining The Jackson Laboratory, he was the founding executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) (an A*STAR institute), chairman of the board of the Health Sciences Authority, and president of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO) (2007-2013). As the executive director of the GIS, he brought the institution to international prominence as one of the most productive genomics institutions in the world.
Between 1997 and 2001, he was the scientific director of the National Cancer Institute's Division of Clinical Sciences where he was in charge of the intramural clinical translational science programs. From 1987 to 1996, Liu was a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was the director of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer; the director of the Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology at UNC School of Public Health; chief of Medical Genetics; and the chair of the Correlative Science Committee of the national cooperative clinical trials group, CALGB.
Liu's scientific research has focused on the functional genomics of human cancers, particularly breast cancer (identifying the tandem duplicator phenotype genomic configuration[1]), discovering new oncogenes (AXL family of receptor tyrosine kinases[2]), and deciphering the dynamics of gene regulation on a genomic scale that modulates cancer biology.[3] His work has spanned basic to population sciences to translation to the clinic. He has authored over 320 scientific papers and reviews, and co-authored two books.
In his spare time, Liu[4] pursues jazz piano and composition, and writes for the lay public on science, medicine and society.
1983-1987Postdoctoral Fellow - Dept. of Microbiology, University of California at San Francisco, CA (Dr. J. Michael Bishop)
1982-1985Hematology Fellowship, University of California San Francisco, Moffitt Hospital
1980-1982Oncology Fellowship, Stanford University
1979-1980Residency, Barnes Hospital - Washington University School of Medicine
1978-1979Internship, Barnes Hospital - Washington University in St. Louis
1973-1978Stanford University School of Medicine, M.D.
1969-1973Stanford University, B.S. Chemistry, Psychology
2021–presentProfessor, President Emeritus, and Honorary Fellow, The Jackson Laboratory
2011-2021President and CEO, The Jackson Laboratory
2001-2011Executive Director, Genome Institute of Singapore
2007–2011Chairman, Governing Board Health Sciences Authority of Singapore
1996-2001Director, Division of Clinical Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
1995-1996Chief, Division of Medical Genetics, UNC School of Medicine
1995-1996Professor, UNC Departments of Medicine, Epidemiology, Biochemistry and Biophysics.
1993-1995Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
1992-1996Director, Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer (NIH-designated)
1987-1993Assistant Professor in Medicine and Oncology, UNC School of Medicine
2018Honorary Degree recipient, University of Southern Maine
2016Honorary Degree recipient, Colby College[5]
2016Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
2014Chen Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Human Genetic and Genomic Research (from Human Genome Organization)
2010Fellow, The Hastings Center
2008Associate (Foreign) Member European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
2007-2013President, the Human Genome Organization (HUGO)
2007Doctor of Medical Science honoris causa, awarded by Queen's University Belfast
2005National Healthcare Group (NHG), Singapore, Distinguished Contributor Award
2003Public Service Medal (National Day, 2003), for work in controlling SARS in Singapore (given by the Office of the President, Republic of Singapore)
2000Rosenthal Award, AACR: for the discovery that HER-2 status determines response to adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin
1999Elected-Board of Directors, American Association for Cancer Research
1996Brinker International Award for Breast Cancer Research - Basic Research Award
1995American Society of Clinical Investigation (Membership)
1991-1996Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar
1985-1988Clinical Investigator Award, National Cancer Institute, K08-CA01036-02, Preceptor: Dr. J. Michael Bishop.
1983-1985Damon Runyan Cancer Fund Fellowship Preceptor: Dr. J. Michael Bishop (UCSF)
1973Phi Beta Kappa