Edison Liu
Edison Tak-Bun Liu an American physician-scientist, whose work focuses on cancer genomics, breast cancer biology, and translational medicine. He has held senior leadership roles in biomedical research institutions in the United States and Asia.
Liu is a professor at the Jackson Laboratory, where he served as president and chief executive officer and as director of the NCI-designated JAX Cancer Center from 2012 to 2021. He was the founding executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore from 2001 to 2011, as well as chairman of the Health Sciences Authority, and president of the Human Genome Organization from 2007 to 2013.
From 1997 to 2001, Liu was scientific director of the National Cancer Institute's Division of Clinical Sciences. Earlier in his career, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he held leadership roles at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC School of Medicine, UNC School of Public Health, and the national clinical trials cooperative group, Cancer and Leukemia Group B.
Early life and education
Edison T. Liu was born in Hong Kong in 1952. In 1957, he immigrated with his physician parents to the United States, settling in San Francisco, where his father practiced medicine in the city's Chinatown.Liu earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and psychology from Stanford University in 1973, and received a Doctor of Medicine from the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1978. He completed his medical internship and residency at Barnes Hospital, affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis.
He subsequently undertook a fellowship in medical oncology at Stanford University and a fellowship in hematology at University of California San Francisco, Moffitt Hospital. From 1983 to 1987, Liu was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Microbiology at the University of California at San Francisco, working in the laboratory of Nobel laureate J. Michael Bishop where he conducted molecular research on oncogenes and their roles in cancer.
Professional appointments
Institutional leadership
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
In 1987, Liu joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Department of Medicine and also held faculty appointments in epidemiology, biochemistry, and genetics. He established a program in breast cancer research and started the first laboratory of molecular epidemiology at the UNC School of Public Health.In 1992, Liu became director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center's Specialized Program of Research Excellence in breast cancer, one of the first awards of its kind to be awarded by the National Cancer Institute. The program aimed to integrate cancer prevention, molecular epidemiology, clinical translational research, and laboratory-based studies, including research addressing racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes.
Liu's research during this period focused on identifying novel protein kinases in breast cancer and on the molecular epidemiology of oncogene mutations. During his tenure at UNC, Liu's research led to the discovery and functional analysis of the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand growth arrest-specific 6, which became a target of interest for cancer therapy.
National Cancer Institute
In 1996, Liu was appointed scientific director for the Division of Clinical Sciences at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. In this role, he oversaw clinical and translational research within the NCI's intramural program and was responsible for integrating departments related to clinical research—including surgery, medicine, pediatrics, radiation oncology, dermatology, and pathology. During his tenure, Liu held a leadership role in planning for the new NIH Clinical Center and oversaw the establishment of the NCI's cDNA microarray facility, an early initiative supporting research on the functional genomics of cancer.In 1999, Liu worked with Professor Patrick Johnston of Queen's University Belfast and other collaborators to establish the All-Ireland-NCI Cancer Consortium, a cooperative initiative linking cancer researchers, clinicians, and policymakers from the United States, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. The consortium aimed to improve cancer outcomes through coordinated research, education, and healthcare delivery, and played a significant role in advancing cancer control and building research capacity in Northern Ireland during a period of peace and reconciliation following the Good Friday Agreement. The consortium has been recognized for establishing lasting partnerships, joint training programs, and shared infrastructure, which have contributed to scientific discovery and improved patient care, and highlighted how international collaboration in cancer research could contribute to building partnerships across regions affected by social conflict. In recognition of his work with the consortium, Liu was awarded an honorary doctorate by Queen's University Belfast in 2007.
Genome Institute of Singapore
In 2001, Edison Liu was appointed founding executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore, which was established as part of Singapore's national biomedical sciences initiative. During his tenure, the institute grew from a team of three to nearly 300 staff and became recognized internationally for its research in genomics, cancer biology, and systems biomedicine.Liu also directed the Pan-Asian SNP Consortium, an initiative that mapped human genetic diversity across Asia and produced publications on population genetics. He also served as chairman of the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore, the country's regulatory agency for health products and medical services leading it through a series of regulatory reform, and was a founding member of Singapore's Bioethics Advisory Committee that established the foundational legal-ethical framework for Singapore's biomedical initiative.
During this period, Liu participated in national initiatives related to biomedical research infrastructure, clinical translation, and higher education reform. In 2003, he received Singapore's Public Service Medal in recognition of his contributions during the SARS outbreak and was named among the individuals identified as having contributed to Singapore's national development in biographical and historical accounts.
Following his work in Singapore, Liu published and lectured on the development of biomedical research ecosystems. His international service included election as president of the Human Genome Organisation for two terms and election as a foreign associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organization.
The Jackson Laboratory
In 2012, Liu was appointed president and chief executive officer of the Jackson Laboratory, an independent nonprofit biomedical research institution based in Bar Harbor, Maine. In addition to its basic research programs in genetics and genomics, the laboratory produces and distributes research mouse models and related services for the biomedical research community.During Liu's tenure, the Jackson Laboratory expanded its research activities to include systems genomics, human genetics, and translational biomedical research. From 2012 to 2021, the Jackson Laboratory's annual operating revenue increased from $136 million to more than $572 million, its staff nearly doubled, and business operations expanded nationally and internationally, including new campuses in Connecticut, California, China and Japan. Liu oversaw the development of a $291 million genomic medicine campus in Farmington, Connecticut, establishing a base for translational research and precision medicine initiatives. He also served as director of the JAX Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center.
Liu's earlier experience in Singapore during the 2003 SARS outbreak provided a relevant operational context during the COVID-19 pandemic. He directed efforts at the Jackson Laboratory's Connecticut site to establish high-capacity SARS-CoV-2 testing facilities that supported state and national public health responses and the rapid production of mouse models to support vaccine development.
Liu also promoted coordination between the Jackson Laboratory's academic research programs and its research services operations, including the expansion of in vivo research services and patient-derived xenograft platforms. Liu's efforts are credited with strengthening the laboratory's position as a leader in both fundamental genetics and translational genomic medicine. He stepped down as president and chief executive officer in 2021 and was subsequently named president emeritus and honorary fellow, while continuing as a faculty member. He has an active cancer research laboratory in Farmington, Conn.