Youcheng Liu

Youcheng Liu

Dr. Liu trained in medicine at Nanjing Medical University and Public Health at Peking University Health Science Center in China. He further obtained an M.S. in Environmental Health and an ScD in Industrial Hygiene and Epidemiology from Harvard University. He completed postdoctoral residency in occupational and environmental medicine studies at Yale University School of Medicine.

Prior to joining Wayne State University, Dr. Liu was an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He also held positions of Assistant Professor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine and School of Public Health, and of Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.

Research interest(s)/area of expertise

Dr. Liu’s research has focused on assessing environmental and occupational exposures to chemical hazards and biological agents, evaluating the resultant health outcomes (such as asthma, COPD, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes) and identifying effective and feasible measures and strategies to reduce exposures and prevent related diseases. He has conducted collaborative research in China, Guatemala and the U.S.

Research

His research has been mostly funded by governmental agencies such as National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Current research projects include dermal exposure to nicotine in migrant tobacco farm workers in Kentucky and the development of a barrier cream and other intervention methods to reduce exposure and green tobacco sickness, isocyanate exposure in neonates, and the identification of user barriers of Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs) and evaluation on feasibility and effectiveness of rapidly training and fit testing on elastomeric half-mask respirators in healthcare workers.

Education

• Sc.D., Industrial Hygiene and epidemiology, Harvard University, 1997
• M.S., Environmental Health, Harvard University, 1994
• M.P.H., Environmental Health Sciences, Peking University, 1987
• M.D., Preventive Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, 1983

Awards and grants

• Best Student Poster Award for “Okafor C, Gohil V, Liu Y (Faculty Mentor for Okafor C and Gohil V), Sterling DA, Pearce R, Biswas S, Prince TS, Davis G, Carol M, Reed D, Klingner T, Tokarski M, Stinchcomb A. Determinants of Nicotine Exposure in Tobacco Harvesting Workers: A Pilot Study”, American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2016
• Best Student Poster Award for “Gohil V, Okafor C, Liu Y (Faculty Mentor for Gohil V and Okafor C), Sterling DA, Pearce R, Prince TS, Davis G, Carol M, Reed D, Biswas S, Stinchcomb A. Tobacco Harvesting Work, Exposure To Nicotine, Vital Signs and Nicotine Poisoning”, American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2016
• Best Publication Award for the article entitled “Bello D, Sparer JA, Redlich CA, Ibrahim K, Stowe MH, Liu Y. Slow Curing of Aliphatic Polyisocyanates Paints in Automotive Refinishing: A Potential Source for Skin Exposure. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 2006; 4(6):406-11”, Michigan Industrial Hygiene Society, 2007
• CDC/NIOSH, Research Contract Award (#200-2015-M-63768), “Assessing user barriers of PAPRs in healthcare work settings.” The major goal of this study is to identify potential user barriers of four models of powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) used in healthcare setting. My role: PI. $141,604, 7/22/2015-03/31/2018
• CDC)/NIOSH, R03OH009815, “Efficacy Study of a Nicotine Barrier Cream.” The major goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a barrier cream in reducing skin absorption of nicotine in an in vitro testing and in an in vivo testing with tobacco farmers and farm workers. My role: PI. $140,932, 09/01/2013-08/31/2016
• Cook Children’s Healthcare System Clinical Scholars Program, AG-13-1032, “Isocyanate Exposure in Infants.” The major goal of this study was to evaluate skin exposure of newborn babies to isocyanates from medical devices and products used in a neonatal intensive care unit at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, TX. My role: Co-PI (Co-PI: Jonathan Nedrelow, Cook Children’s Hospital). $50,000, 06/01/2012-05/31/2016
• NIH/National Cancer Institute (NCI), R01CA170508, “A Cyber Informatics Approach to Studying Migration and Environmental Cancer Risk.” The major goal of this study was to develop cyberinformatics tools to leverage the power of online contents, including user-generated contents on social network sites, for knowledge discovery regarding complex migration patterns and their effect on environmental cancer risk. My role: Consultant (PIs: Songhua Xu and Georgia Tourassi, Oak Ridge National Laboratory). $410,454, 09/01/2012-06/30/2016
• CDC/NIOSH, R01OH034506, “Longitudinal Study of Isocyanate Asthma in Auto Body Shops.” The major goal of this study was to examine the incidence and etiology of isocyanate asthma in auto body shop workers in Connecticut longitudinally. My role: Co-I (PI: Mark Cullen). $2,297,393, 08/30/2002-09/29/2007
• CDC/NIOSH, R01OH004246, “Isocyanate Exposure Intervention Study in Body Shops.” The major goal of this study was to implement a comprehensive intervention program in auto body shops and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing workers’ exposures to isocyanates and solvents and the risk of developing immunologic markers. My role: PI. $1,221,890, 09/30/2002-10/29/2006
• CDC/NIOSH, Research Contract Award (75D30118C02647), "Assessment of Elastomeric Respirators in Healthcare Delivery Settings". The major goals of this study are 1) to assess the fesibility and effectiveness of rapidly training healthcare workers in using elastomeric respirators during a pandemic or large public health disaster, and 2) to incorporate elastomeric respirators in routine use in performing healthcare work tasks. My role: PI. $392,130, 09/01/2018-08/31/2023

News mentions

• The health impacts of poor air quality

Selected publications

• Yang AC, Liu Y, Shao Y, Yang C, Xu J, Yang B. Hydroxychloroquine and interferons for prophylaxis and early treatment of Covid-19 - current clinical advances. J Clin Cell Immunol 2020;11(5):596. Available at: https://www.longdom.org/open-access/hydroxychloroquine-and-interferons-for-the-prophylaxis-and-early-treatment-of-covid19current-clinical-advances.pdf
• Franklin G, Harari H, Ahsan S, Bello D, Sterling D, Nedrelow J, Raynaud S, Biswas S, Liu Y. Residual isocyanates in medical devices and products: a qualitative and quantitative assessment. Environ Health Insights 2016;10:175–90. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5067089
• Faramawi MF, Delongchamp R, Lin YS, Liu Y, Abouelenien S, Fischbach L, Jadhav S. Environmental lead exposure is associated with visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure variability in the US adults. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2015;88(3):381-8. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25086568
• Wu S, Deng F, Liu Y, Shima M, Niu J, Huang Q, Guo X. Temperature, traffic-related air pollution, and heart rate variability in a panel of healthy adults. Environ Res 2013;120:82-9. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22995643?dopt=Abstract
• El Faramawi M, Liu Y, Caffrey JL, Lin Y, Ghandi S, Singh K. The association between urinary cadmium and frontal T wave axis deviation in the US adults. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2012;215(3):406-10. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22206735?dopt=Abstract
• Wu S, Deng F, Niu J, Huang Q, Liu Y, Guo X. Exposures to PM2.5 components and heart rate variability in taxi drivers around the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Sci Total Environ2011;409(13):2478-85. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21492904
• Wu S, Deng F, Niu J, Huang Q, Liu Y, Guo X. The relationship between traffic-related air pollutants and cardiac autonomic function in a panel of healthy adults: a further analysis with existing data. Inhal Toxicol 2011;23(5):289-303. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21506879
• Wu S, Deng F, Niu J, Huang Q, Liu Y, Guo X. Association of heart rate variability in taxi drivers with marked changes of particulate air pollution in Beijing in 2008. Environ Health Perspect 2010;118(1): 87–1. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831973
• Liu Y, Stowe MH, Bello D, Sparer JA, Gore R, Cullen MR, Redlich CA, Woskie SR. Skin exposure to aliphatic polyisocyanates in the auto body repair and refinishing industry: III. A personal exposure algorithm. Ann Occup Hyg 2009;53(1):33-40. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2638551
• Bello D, Stowe MH, Sparer JA, Woskie SR, Streicher RP, Cullen MR, Redlich CA, Liu Y. Skin exposure to aliphatic polyisocyanates in the auto body repair and refinishing industry: II. A quantitative assessment. Ann Occup Hyg 2008; 52(2):117-24. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18209009
• Liu Y, Bello D, Sparer JA, Stowe MH, Gore RJ, Woskie SR, Cullen MR, Redlich CA. Skin exposure to aliphatic polyisocyanates in the auto body repair and refinishing industry: a qualitative assessment. Ann Occup Hyg 2007; 51(5):429-39. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17602207
• Liu Y. Where there is smoke, there is lung disease. Thorax 2007; 62:838-9. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094248

Citation index

NIH

Courses taught by Youcheng Liu

Winter Term 2025 (future)

• FPH7420 - Principles of Environmental Health

Fall Term 2024 (future)

• FPH7210 - Research Methods for Public Health Professionals
• FPH7420 - Principles of Environmental Health

Winter Term 2024

• FPH7420 - Principles of Environmental Health

Fall Term 2023

• FPH7420 - Principles of Environmental Health

Winter Term 2023

• FPH7420 - Principles of Environmental Health

Fall Term 2022

• FPH7420 - Principles of Environmental Health

Winter Term 2022

• PH3500 - Environmental Health
• FPH7420 - Principles of Environmental Health