Yiran Liu

Yiran Liu, from Tianjin, China and Ann Arbor, Michigan, is pursuing a PhD at the Stanford School of Medicine. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan (UM), where she studied cellular and molecular biology, and law, justice, and social change. She aspires to tackle persistent health disparities, both locally and globally, by creating opportunities for individuals from system-impacted populations and other marginalized communities to contribute to and lead impactful research that can be translated to clinical, public health, and sociopolitical solutions. At Stanford, her research aims to address two persistent, interrelated contributors to global health inequity: infectious diseases and incarceration. In Purvesh Khatri's lab, she studies the immune response following infection or vaccination to discover generalizable signatures that can predict risk or protection in diverse patient populations. In Jason Andrews' lab, she studies the effects of incarceration on health, well-being, and mortality. She also coordinates and teaches multidisciplinary courses at a local Bay Area jail. Previously, she conducted molecular biology research on cancer, kidney disease, and motor neuron development, and led the peer education program at the UM Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center.