Assist. Prof. Dr. Yunmeng Liu | Immunotherapy | Best Researcher Award

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | United States

Dr. Yunmeng Liu is a highly accomplished biomedical scientist and pharmacologist specializing in the interplay between immunity, metabolism, and cardiovascular health. With a robust academic foundation in molecular biology and integrated biomedical science, Dr. Liu has devoted her career to unraveling the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying hypertension, diabetes, and related cardiovascular complications. She currently serves as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at UAMS, where she leads innovative projects exploring the immune system’s role in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Her research integrates advanced techniques in pharmacology, immunology, and molecular biology to develop new therapeutic strategies for complex chronic conditions.Dr. Liu’s extensive research contributions are reflected in numerous high-impact publications. She has investigated P2X7-mediated activation of CD8+ T cells and their role in promoting salt-sensitive hypertension, providing critical insights into the immune modulation of blood pressure. Her work on interferon gamma pathways enhancing CD8 T cell interactions in hypertension and the stimulation of the Na-Cl co-transporter NCC by CD8+ T cells in distal convoluted tubules highlights the molecular crosstalk between immune cells and renal physiology. She has also explored immune dysregulation connecting type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications, emphasizing how chronic metabolic imbalances influence immune cell behavior and disease progression.Other notable contributions include the role of KATP channel openers in inhibiting lymphatic contractions and lymph flow as a mechanism of peripheral edema, and Eplerenone-mediated attenuation of fibrosis in the contralateral kidney by preventing macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition, which underscore her translational approach bridging basic research and clinical relevance. Additionally, she has advanced knowledge on resident-memory T cell establishment anchoring hypertension in the kidney and the nutrition impact on diabetes and cardiovascular health, reflecting her commitment to holistic understanding of disease mechanisms.Beyond her research, Dr. Liu is deeply engaged in education and mentorship, instructing graduate students in courses such as cell biology, pathologic basis of disease, and pharmacology and therapeutics, while supervising numerous PhD and undergraduate students in cutting-edge biomedical research projects. Her scholarly excellence is recognized through awards, grant funding, and memberships in professional societies including the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and American Association of Immunologists, solidifying her status as a leading expert in immunopharmacology and cardiovascular-metabolic research.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Deck, K., Mora, C., Deng, S., Rogers, P., Rafferty, T., Palade, P. T., Mu, S., & Liu, Y. (2025). Immune dysregulation connecting type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications. Life, 15(8), 1241.

Liu, Y. (2024, May 29). Immune disorders connecting type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications [Preprint].

Benson, L., Deck, K., Mora, C., Guo, Y., Rafferty, T. M., Li, L.-X., Huang, L., Qin, Z., Andrews, J. T., & Liu, Y. (2024, January 9). P2X7-mediated antigen-independent activation of CD8 T cells promotes salt-sensitive hypertension. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex.: 1979).

Benson, L. N., Guo, Y., Deck, K., Mora, C., Liu, Y., & Mu, S. (2023, March 9). The link between immunity and hypertension in the kidney and heart. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 10, 1129384.

Benson, L. N., Liu, Y., Deck, K., Mora, C., & Mu, S. (2022, October 26). IFNγ contributes to the immune mechanisms of hypertension. Kidney360, 3(10), 1234–1246.