Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Infectious Diseases

Faculty Profiles
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photo Shihui Liu, MD, PhD

Infectious Diseases

Associate Professor of Medicine

Email: shl176@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-383-4419
Contact
Office: 100 Bridgeside Point I
Room 564
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
 
Phone: 412-383-4419
Fax:
E-mail: shl176@pitt.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Kathy A Brickett
Address: Bridgeside Point I, Room 571.1
100 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Email: kab389@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-383-4416
Fax: 412-383-4416
Education and Training
Education
M.D., Beijing Medical University, 1987
PhD, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 1993
M.S, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, 1990
Training
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas
Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institutes of Health, 2001
Research Interest
We study several medically important bacterial virulence factors, including anthrax toxins, in bacterial pathogenesis. Through investigating the interactions of these protein toxins and their mammalian hosts, we are interested in discovering the toxins’ molecular targets and understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathophysiology. We study how these toxins alter key signal transduction pathways, in particular the RAS and ERK pathways, in cancer cells and tumor stromal cells, and we use the knowledge obtained to design and develop novel bacterial toxin-based anti-tumor drugs with high tumor specificity. We are also interested in using this approach to design and develop novel biological-based therapeutics to selectively eliminate senescent cells.
Clinical Interest
Infectious diseases caused by bacterial pathogens.
Cancer targeted therapy
Educational Interest
Interested in mentoring undergraduate students, medical students, and graduate students in medical research.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Zuo Z., Liu J., Sun Z., Silverstein R., Zou M., Finkel T., Bugge T. H., Leppla S. H., Liu S. A potent tumor-selective MEK inactivator with a high therapeutic index. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2022; 1(3).
Liu J., Jang J. Y., Pirooznia M., Liu S., Finkel T. The secretome mouse provides a genetic platform to delineate tissue-specific in vivo secretion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2021; 118(3).
Mendenhall M. A., Liu S., Portley M. K., O'Mard D., Fattah R., Szabo R., Bugge T. H., Khillan J. S., Leppla S. H., Moayeri M. Anthrax lethal factor cleaves regulatory subunits of phosphoinositide-3 kinase to contribute to toxin lethality. Nature Microbiology. 2020; 5(12): 1464-1471.
Liu J., Zuo Z., Sastalla I., Liu C., Jang J. Y., Sekine Y., Li Y., Pirooznia M., Leppla S. H., Finkel T., Liu S. Sequential CRISPR-based screens identify LITAF and CDIP1 as the two alternative receptors for the Bacillus cereus pore-forming hemolysin BL toxin. Cell Host & Microbe. 2020; 28(3): 402-410.
Liu J., Zuo Z., Zou M., Finkel T., Liu S. Identification of the transcription factor Miz1 as an essential regulator of diphthamide biosynthesis using a CRISPR-mediated genome-wide screen. The Public Library of Science Genetics. 2020; 16(10).
Liu S., Liu J., Ma Q., Cao L., Fattah R., Yu Z., Bugge T. H., Finkel T., Leppla S. H. Solid tumor therapy by selectively targeting stromal endothelial cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2016; 113(28): E4079-E4087.
Moayeri M., Leppla S. H., Vrentas C., Pomerantsev A., Liu S. Anthrax Pathogenesis. Annual Review of Microbiology. 2015; 185-208.
Liu S., Zhang Y., Moayeri M., Liu J., Crown D., Fattah R., Wein A. N., Yu Z. X., Finkel T., Leppla S. H. Key tissue targets responsible for anthrax toxin-induced lethality. Nature. 2013; 501(7465): 63–68.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: Defining cellular receptors for the Bacillus cereus hemolysin BL toxin (HBL) and the development of anti-HBL therapies
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
Grant Number: R01 AI145879
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Title: Molecular mechanisms and novel biological-based therapies for anthrax lethal toxin-induced mortality
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Institute of Health
Grant Number: R56 AI148134
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
Notable Achievements
Academic Editor, the Journal of Toxins, 2013
US Government Service Award, 2011
NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE), 2001
First Place Award for Science and Technology Advancement issued by Ministry of Health, PRC, 1995
Member, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), 2003
Member, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), 2003
Research work published in the PNAS (2003, 100, 657-662) using engineered anthrax toxins to target cancer attracted considerable press attention, 2003
Research work published in the PNAS (2003, 100, 657-662) using engineered anthrax toxins to target cancer attracted considerable press attention, 2003
Research work published in Nature (2013, 501(7465):63-68) was a subject of NIH press release, covered by seven News outlets, 2013
Research work published in Nature (2013, 501(7465):63-68) was a subject of NIH press release, covered by seven News outlets, 2013

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
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3550 Terrace Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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