Tiebing Liang, PhD

Associate Research Professor of Medicine

Director, Genomics and Bioinformatics Core of the IARC (2007-2018)

Address: Gatch Hall, Suite 500
1120 W. Michigan St.
CL 500
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5111
PubMed:

Bio

Dr. Liang has training in cell biology and molecular biology, and her research interests have been centered on the study of genetics and molecular mechanism. Dr. Liang’s graduate work focused on the molecular mechanism of vernalization, followed by her research fellowship on DNA and protein interaction at the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in Italy in 2000. She joined the Department of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine as a postdoctoral fellow in 2001 under Dr. Lucinda Carr and was guided by Ting-Kai Li, Lawrence Lumeng, and Tatiana Foroud. She joined the Indiana University School of Medicine research faculty in 2006, serving as PI of a research lab and as Director of a Genomics and Bioinformatics Core of the Indiana Alcohol Research Center (IARC). Since 2013, she joined the liver research program directed by Dr. Naga Chalasani. Her research interests are the genetics of alcohol use disorder, and metabolic and liver diseases in basic science and clinical research settings.

Key Publications

1) Liang T, Spence J, Liu L, Strother WN, Chang HW, Ellison JA, Lumeng L, Li TK, Foroud T, Carr LG. alpha-Synuclein maps to a quantitative trait locus for alcohol preference and is differentially expressed in alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Apr 15;100(8):4690-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0737182100. Epub 2003 Mar 28. PubMed PMID: 12665621; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC153617.
2) Liang T *, Kimpel MW, McClintick JN, Skillman AR, McCall K, Edenberg HJ, Carr LG. Candidate genes for alcohol preference identified by expression profiling in alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring reciprocal congenic rats. Genome Biol. 2010;11(2):R11. doi: 10.1186/gb-2010-11-2-r11. Epub 2010 Feb 3. PubMed PMID: 20128895; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2872871. * Corresponding author.
3) Vuppalanchi R, Liang T, Goswami CP, Nalamasu R, Li L, Jones D, Wei R, Liu W, Sarasani V, Janga SC, Chalasani N. Relationship between differential hepatic microRNA expression and decreased hepatic cytochrome P450 3A activity in cirrhosis. PLoS One. 2013;8(9):e74471. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074471. eCollection 2013. PubMed PMID: 24058572; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3772944.
4) Liang T, Alloosh M, Bell LN, Fullenkamp A, Saxena R, Van Alstine W, Bybee P, Werling K, Sturek M, Chalasani N, Masuoka HC. Liver injury and fibrosis induced by dietary challenge in the Ossabaw miniature Swine. PLoS One. 2015;10(5):e0124173. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124173. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25978364; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4433111.
5) Qiu B, Bell RL, Cao Y, Zhang L, Stewart RB, Graves T, Lumeng L, Yong W, Liang T. Npy deletion in an alcohol non-preferring rat model elicits differential effects on alcohol consumption and body weight. J Genet Genomics. 2016 Jul 20;43(7):421-30. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2016.04.010. Epub 2016 Apr 29. PubMed PMID: 27461754; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5055068.
6) Qiu B, Luczak SE, Wall TL, Kirchhoff AM, Xu Y, Eng MY, Stewart RB, Shou W, Boehm SL, Chester JA, Yong W, Liang T. The FKBP5 Gene Affects Alcohol Drinking in Knockout Mice and Is Implicated in Alcohol Drinking in Humans. Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Aug 5;17(8). doi: 10.3390/ijms17081271. PubMed PMID: 27527158; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5000669.
7) Vilar-Gomez E, Sookoian S, Pirola CJ, Liang T, Gawrieh S, Cummings O, Liu W, Chalasani NP. ADH1B∗2 Is Associated With Reduced Severity of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adults, Independent of Alcohol Consumption. Gastroenterology. 2020 Sep;159(3):929-943. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.05.054. Epub 2020 May 23. PubMed PMID: 32454036; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7502531.
8) Vilar-Gomez E, Pirola CJ, Sookoian S, Wilson LA, Belt P, Liang T, Liu W, Chalasani N. Impact of the Association Between PNPLA3 Genetic Variation and Dietary Intake on the Risk of Significant Fibrosis in Patients With NAFLD. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021 May 1;116(5):994-1006. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000001072. PubMed PMID: 33306506; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8087619.
9) Whitfield JB, Schwantes-An TH, Darlay R, Aithal GP, Atkinson SR, Bataller R, Botwin G, Chalasani NP, Cordell HJ, Daly AK, Day CP, Eyer F, Foroud T, Gleeson D, Goldman D, Haber PS, Jacquet JM, Liang T, Liangpunsakul S, Masson S, Mathurin P, Moirand R, McQuillin A, Moreno C, Morgan MY, Mueller S, Müllhaupt B, Nagy LE, Nahon P, Nalpas B, Naveau S, Perney P, Pirmohamed M, Seitz HK, Soyka M, Stickel F, Thompson A, Thursz MR, Trépo E, Morgan TR, Seth D. A genetic risk score and diabetes predict development of alcohol-related cirrhosis in drinkers. J Hepatol. 2021 Oct 13;. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.10.005. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34656649.

Google Scholar

https://scholar.google.com.hk/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=en&user=4XbOBrkAAAAJ

Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography:

https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.proxy.medlib.uits.iu.edu/myncbi/tiebing.liang.1/bibliography/public/

Default table
Year	Degree	Institution
2000	PhD	Chinese Academy of Sciences
1993	MS	Chinese Academy of Sciences
1990	BS	Lanzhou University

Genetics of Liver Disease, Alcohol Use Disorder, Gene Mapping, and Gene Function

The central focus of Dr. Liang’s research is the identification of genes contributing to Alcohol Use Disorder and Liver Disease. Ongoing studies explore the role of both common and rare variants in disease risk by application of whole genome approaches, genetic modification and gene function identification, as well as molecular and biochemical analyses.

Genomics of AUD. Through the application of selective breeding, congenic animal breeding, and transcriptome profiling, we have identified the genomic region and candidate genes implicated in alcohol consumption, anxiety, and risk-taking behavior. We have conducted association studies and molecular characterizations on alcohol metabolizing genes, such as ADH and ALDH, as well as genes implicated in AUD development (SNCA, NPY and its receptors), anxiety (CRHR2), and withdrawal severity (FKBP5).

Genetic risk for Liver Disease Dr. Liang’s laboratory has participated in international and national studies, focusing on genetic determinates of alcohol use disorder (P60) and alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis (U01). She has provided genetic analyses for multiple collaborative consortia, such as the NASH Clinical Research Network (CRN). These have led to the Identification of polygenic risk factors that predict liver disease development, as well as genetic and nutritional interactions in the determination of liver disease onset. Additionally, the laboratory performs animal feeding studies to understand how high-fat diet and alcohol consumption impact liver disease development.

Genetic Manipulation Application of genetic modification technologies has enhanced Dr. Liang’s research capabilities and enabled the exploration of new lines of inquiry. She has generated an Npy KO rat model using Zinc-Finger technology. Recently, she has conducted multiple studies using Fkbp5 KO mice. As a stress response gene, Fkbp5 plays a role in alcohol consumption and withdrawal and Fkbp5 KO mice are more resistant to alcohol- and drug-induced liver injury. The laboratory is currently incorporating AI technology in identifying differences in mitochondrial and neuron morphology.

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Tiebing Liang, PhD

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