{"id":15945,"date":"2026-04-09T10:23:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:23:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/cellbiophysio\/?post_type=directory&p=15945"},"modified":"2026-04-09T10:29:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:29:07","slug":"qingyun-liu-phd","status":"publish","type":"directory","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/cellbiophysio\/directory\/qingyun-liu-phd\/","title":{"rendered":"Qingyun Liu, PhD"},"content":{"rendered":"

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR,\u00a0GENETICS\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
\n

Research Interests<\/h2>\n

Keywords:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bacterial evolution; population genomics; infectious diseases; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Mycobacterium abscessus; nontuberculous mycobacteria; antibiotic resistance; treatment outcomes; transmissibility; bacterial physiology<\/p>\n

Lab Website<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

I am a microbiologist and geneticist leading a research program that integrates population genomics, clinical cohorts, and experimental microbiology to understand how bacterial pathogens evolve in real-world human infections. We focus on the genetic and physiological mechanisms that drive drug resistance, treatment failure, transmissibility, and persistence in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium abscessus, and other emerging bacterial pathogens.<\/p>\n

Our work begins with large-scale genomic analyses of clinical isolates to identify bacterial variants and pathways associated with important disease phenotypes, including antibiotic resistance, transmission success, and poor treatment outcomes. We then use high-throughput phenotyping, microbial genetics, and infection models to define the functional consequences of these evolved changes and to establish causal mechanisms.<\/p>\n

A major goal of the lab is to uncover bacterial vulnerabilities that can be translated into improved diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines, and public health interventions. More broadly, we aim to understand how pathogen evolution shapes infectious disease emergence and clinical outcomes.<\/p>\n

Current Research Areas<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Bacterial determinants of Mtb transmissibility<\/li>\n
  2. Evolution and mechanisms of drug resistance in Mtb and M. abscessus<\/li>\n
  3. Bacterial predictors of treatment outcomes in M. abscessus infection<\/li>\n
  4. High-throughput phenotyping of clinically evolved bacterial traits<\/li>\n
  5. Translation of pathogen genomics into diagnostics and intervention strategies<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Training Program Affiliations:<\/h2>\n