Academic Rank

Assistant Professor

Professional Qualifications

BSc, Biochemistry Honours, Queen’s University
PhD, Dept. of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto
MD, University of Toronto
FRCPC, Radiation Oncology

Appointments

Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto
Clinician-Scientist, Departments of Radiation Oncology and Molecular & Cell Biology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Academic & Clinical Interests

• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer

Current Research Projects

Dr. Liu’s research goal is to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients by researching and integrating novel molecular targeted agents with radiotherapy.

Over 50% of cancer patients will receive radiotherapy sometime during their cancer treatment, and thus it is important to research ways to improve the efficacy of this treatment. Targeting the Notch pathway is a promising avenue, since it is known to disrupt tumor blood vessels and reduce tumor initiating cells. His research is based upon the novel finding that tumor regrowth can be profoundly delayed following radiation treatment, by blocking Notch signaling. His laboratory research seeks to further improve this well-tolerated treatment strategy by understanding the cellular mechanisms that make this treatment work, in addition to discovering pathways that the tumor or its surrounding cellular environment (stroma) use to develop resistance to this treatment. This will allow for targeting of key resistance pathways in conjunction with the existing treatment strategy to make it more effective in preventing tumor regrowth.

The ultimate goal of this research is to use these findings to form a framework for a clinical trial testing this modified treatment strategy in cancer patients. We do not foresee this treatment approach being restricted to a given tumor type, and thus would positively impact the outcomes for a wide-range of cancer patients.

Selected Publications

See current publications list at PubMed.

Liu SK, Bham SA, Fokas E, Beech J, Im J, Cho, S, Harris AL, Muschel RJ. Delta-Like Ligand 4–Notch Blockade and Tumor Radiation Response.  J Natl Cancer Inst 103(23): 1778-1798, 2011.

Liu SK, Coackley C, Krause M, Jalali F, Chan N, Bristow RG. A novel poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, ABT-888, radiosensitizes malignant human cell lines under oxia and hypoxia. Radiother Oncol 88(2): 258-268, 2008.

Liu SK, Olive, PL, Bristow, RG. Clinical biomarkers of DNA repair inhibition. Can Met Rev 27(3): 445-458, 2008.

Yoder J, Pham C, Iizuka YM, Kanagawa O, Liu SK, McGlade J, Cheng AM. Requirement for the SLP-76 adaptor GADS in T cell development. Science 291: 1987-1991, 2001.

Liu SK, Berry, DM, McGlade CJ. The role of Gads in hematopoietic cell signalling. Oncogene 20: 6284-6290, 2001.

Schmandt RS, Liu SK, McGlade CJ. The cloning and characterization of a novel Shc binding protein, mPAL. Oncogene 18: 1867-1879, 1999.

Liu SK, Fang N, Koretzky GA, McGlade CJ. The hematopoietic-specific adaptor protein, Gads functions in T cell receptor signaling through interactions with the SLP-76 and LAT adaptors. Curr Bio 9: 67-75, 1999.

Liu SK and McGlade CJ. Gads is a novel SH2 and SH3 domain-containing adaptor protein that binds to tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc. Oncogene 17: 3073-3082, 1998.