Jackson Laboratory Professor, President Emeritus, and Honorary Fellow, Edison Liu, M.D., is an international expert in cancer biology, systems genomics, human genetics, molecular epidemiology and translational medicine with a focus on breast cancer. He has authored more than 350 scientific papers and reviews and co-authored two books. He obtained his B.S. in chemistry and psychology, as well as his M.D., at Stanford University. He then received his residency and fellowship training at Washington University, St, Louis, and Stanford, and postdoctoral training in molecular oncology at the University of California at San Francisco with Nobel Laureate, J. Michael Bishop.
From 2012 to 2021, Dr. Liu was the president and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory, an independent research institute focused on c
omplex genetics and functional genomics. During his tenure, JAX grew significantly in revenue, employee headcount, international presence, research scope, philanthropy and physical footprint. Under Liu’s leadership, JAX established The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Conn., and added production facilities in Ellsworth, Maine and Japan and established a joint venture in China to the institution’s headquarters campus in Bar Harbor, Maine, and production facility in Sacramento, Calif.
Previously (2001-2011), he was the founding executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore and the president of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO). He was also the scientific director of the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Clinical Sciences in Bethesda, Md. (1997-2001), where he was in charge of the intramural clinical translational science programs. In his earlier career, Dr. Liu was a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was the director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer; the director of the Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology at UNC’s School of Public Health; and the Chief of Medical Genetics.
Throughout his career Dr. Liu has received numerous accolades and awards, including the AACR Rosenthal Award and the Brinker International Award, both for breast cancer research; the Public Service Medal from the President of Singapore for his contributions to resolving the SARS crisis; and the Chen Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Human Genetics. He was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation, as President of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO), as a foreign member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, and as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Liu has served on the governing boards of the AACR, American Cancer Society, and the Foundation for the NIH. He holds honorary degrees from Queen’s University (Belfast, Northern Ireland), University of Southern Maine, and Colby College (Waterville, Maine).
Research Focus Synopsis
My laboratory is focused on understanding the systems genetics of breast cancer biology and its translational impact. Currently, there are four major programs in the laboratory:
- Dynamics of BRCA1 promoter methylation
- Oncogenic drivers of genomic signatures in cancer
- Clonal dynamics of therapeutic resistance in triple negative breast cancer
- Identifying host genes that determine response to immune checkpoint inhibitors
