LT

University of Arizona

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Hello! I’m LT (Tuo Liu), Ph.D., an environmental health scientist with expertise in omics technologies, statistical analysis, and occupational health research. I recently completed my Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences with a minor in Biostatistics at the University of Arizona.

My work bridges environmental and occupational exposures, advanced data analysis, and public health interventions, with a focus on applying metabolomics and proteomics to understand how exposures affect vulnerable populations, particularly firefighters and healthcare professionals.

I am currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Population and Public Health Sciences at USC, where I study metabolic profiles in relation to bone mineral density across the lifespan in Latino populations. Previously, I worked as a Research Associate in the Burgess and Furlong Labs, developing statistical pipelines for biomarker discovery, omics profiling, and health risk evaluation in projects such as the Firefighter Cancer Cohort Study (FFCCS) and the Arizona HEROES Study (AZHEROES).

My research portfolio includes:

  • Omics Applications: Untargeted and targeted metabolomics/proteomics analyses to uncover biological mechanisms of exposure-related health effects.
  • Statistical Expertise: Application of standard, multilevel/longitudinal, and machine learning methods to complex epidemiological and omics datasets.
  • Public Health Impact: Translating findings into actionable insights that inform strategies to protect high-risk populations.

Beyond research, I am passionate about making science accessible—developing interactive tools, visualizations, and knowledge translation approaches that connect data-driven discoveries to public health policy and practice. Across all my work, I am guided by the commitment to raising public awareness, improve occupational health, and innovate at the intersection of environmental exposures, data science, and public health.

news

Apr 15, 2025 I am going to join the Center for Translational Exposomics Research (CTER) on Environmental Health at USC on June 15th :sparkles: :smile: !
Apr 07, 2025 Dissertation defense passed :smile: !

selected publications

  1. Metabolomics
    Differential metabolic profiles by Hispanic ethnicity among male Tucson firefighters
    Tuo Liu, Melissa A. Furlong, Justin M Snider, and 10 more authors
    Metabolomics, 2025
  2. SciRep
    Evaluating changes in firefighter urinary metabolomes after structural fires: an untargeted, high resolution approach
    Melissa A Furlong, Tuo Liu, Justin M Snider, and 12 more authors
    Scientific Reports, 2023