Rate My Professor Chengyu Liang

Liang's research elucidates fundamental cellular mechanisms underlying inflammation, infection, and cancer, with particular emphasis on autophagy, organelle homeostasis, genomic stability, membrane trafficking, and virus-host interactions. Her laboratory pioneered the identification of UVRAG as a multifunctional autophagic tumor suppressor with roles in coordinating autophagic, endocytic, secretory, and melanogenic pathways, thereby linking membrane dynamics to cellular stress responses, metabolic control, and disease processes. The lab integrates genetic, biochemical, molecular, and cell biological approaches in models including Drosophila, zebrafish, and mice to explore UVRAG functions in endomembrane trafficking, cell death control, DNA damage repair, and organelle homeostasis. Key publications include "Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus induces mitochondrial fission to evade host immune responses and promote viral production" (Nature Microbiology, 2025), "Transcriptional regulation of autophagy-lysosomal function in BRAF-driven melanoma progression and chemoresistance" (Nature Communications, 2019), "Autophagic and tumour suppressor activity of a novel Beclin1-binding protein UVRAG" (Nature Cell Biology, 2006), "TRIM25 RING-finger E3 ubiquitin ligase is essential for RIG-I-mediated antiviral activity" (Nature, 2007), and "Beclin1-binding UVRAG targets the class C Vps complex to coordinate autophagosome maturation and endocytic trafficking" (Nature Cell Biology, 2008). These works have shaped understanding of autophagy's intersection with oncogenesis, therapy resistance, and antiviral immunity.