Education
PhD, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2008
MHS, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2006
MB, Peking University Health Science Center, 2001
Overview
Dr. Liu is a population health researcher interested to study and address leading causes of child mortality. She has multidisciplinary background in medicine, reproductive/maternal/child health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and demography. Currently, her research applies interdisciplinary quantitative strategies to 1) measure and estimate all-cause and cause-specific child mortality, 2) strengthen civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems to improve child mortality estimation, and 3) investigate biosocial etiologies of leading causes of child mortality. Dr. Liu practices to disseminate evidence to reduce child mortality due to leading causes, and advocates to improve child survival. She also teaches introductory and advanced quantitative population health and demographic methods. Dr. Liu currently serves as the Lead of Population and Health Area of Interest in her department and the Associate Director of university wide Hopkins Population Center.
Dr. Liu has been investigating methodological and substantive issues to improve the estimation and estimates of all-cause and cause-specific child mortality, particularly in settings with inadequate CRVS, and has been generating high impact scientific evidence in this area. She has also been working on strengthening CRVS in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Liu has recently started some new research on COVID-19, causes of adolescent mortality, and continues to investigate misclassification between neonatal deaths and stillbirths. She has also been studying the complex and joint effects of biosocial etiologies of leading causes of child mortality.
Dr. Liu has published 47 peer-reviewed articles. Among them, Dr. Liu first-authored 14 and served as the corresponding/senior author of 10 articles. Many of her publications appeared in leading journals, such as The Lancet. Dr. Liu’s publications have collectively received over 15,000 citations to date, with an H-index of 27 and an i10-index of 42. Her research has been reported by major media outlets, such as New York Times and BBC News. Dr. Liu is a regular consultant to international agencies and foundations, e.g. UNICEF, WHO, the World Bank, and BMGF. Her research has been and continues to be supported by multiple funders including BMGF, Global Affairs Canada, Johns Hopkins University, National Institute of Health, and WHO.
Honors and Awards
2017 – 2018 JHBSPH Faculty Innovation Fund/Edward and Margaret Brewster Memorial Fund
2006 – 2007 Fellowship in Family Planning and Reproductive Health, JHBSPH
2004 – 2006 PFRH Tuition and Stipend Fellowship, JHBSPH
2002 – 2004 Josephine Kohn and Family Fund Award, PFRH, JHBSPH
2000 Outstanding Undergraduate, Bureau of Education, Beijing
1997 – 1998 Golden Prize, Medical Education Scholarship of the United Laboratories, PUHSC
1996 – 1999 Outstanding Academic Performance, PUHSC