University of Illinois Chicago · PharmacologyThe Lung Repair Lab
Yuru Liu · Chicago, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Yuru Liu's lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago focuses on understanding how certain cells in the lungs, specifically Type II alveolar epithelial cells, help repair lung injuries and maintain healthy lung function. By studying the signaling pathways that regulate these cells, the lab aims to uncover new ways to treat chronic lung diseases like emphysema and fibrosis. The research combines molecular and cellular biology techniques to explore how these cells behave during normal conditions and after injury, striving to discover potential therapeutic targets.
alveolar epithelial cellslung injurycell signalingchronic lung diseasestem cellslung repairSTAT signalingalveolar homeostasisimmunity
Research Aims
3AIM 01Determine how NFB and STAT1 mediated signaling regulates the stem cell properties of CD44high AT2 subsets during steady state homeostasis.
AIM 02Investigate the role of STAT1/STAT3 dependent signaling in regulating the progenitor functions of AT2 cells after lung injury.
AIM 03Identify the molecular mechanisms underlying alveolar stem cell function during repair processes in mouse and human lungs.
Skills the Lab Values
3-Dimensional Cell CultureSingle-Cell RNA SequencingMolecular CloningCell Physiology TechniquesLung Injury ModelsImmunostainingFlow CytometryGene Knockout TechniquesData Analysis using Python
Output against the department
Publications43bottom 4% of dept.441st of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.4kbottom 17% of dept.382nd of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.