Beiyun C. Liu, Ph.D.

Beiyun C Liu, founder of Cliu BioAnimation Studio, Academic Credentials

I believe a sustainable method is needed for biomedical researchers, communicators, and educators to disseminate scientific knowledge broadly and accurately. I have over a decade of experience as a biomedical researcher. In creating Cliu BioAnimation Studio, I combine my understanding of basic biology with a love for film, animation, and storytelling to bring the wonders of the microscopic world to a larger audience.

If you are a researcher, educator, or science communicator in the biomedical fields, I’d love to help you create visuals that fit your need and audience. I work across the entire creative pipeline, from research and scripting thru to production and post. In working with me, you’ll find a thought partner who is invested in delivering a visual product that is scientifically accurate as well as visually and emotionally compelling.

  • 2025-2026: Fellowship in Science Communication ~ sponsored by the Academic Programs Office, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA

    2018-2025: Postdoc in cell fate determination ~ Mentor Douglas Green Ph.D., St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA

    2012-2018: Ph.D. in Immunology - Mentors Alexander Poltorak Ph.D. & Ralph Isberg Ph.D., Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    2006-2010: Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry - University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA

  • 2024: Invited speaker seminar- Discovery Stack Pilot: A standardized and interactive peer review platform - Immuno-Skamania, Stevenson, WA, USA

    2022: Selected short talk – CellBio2022, Subgroup: Recovery from the Brink of Cell Death. Washington DC, USA

    2022: Short talk – Green Lab Extended Scientific Retreat, MO, USA

    2021: Selected short talk – Virtually Dead: International Conference on Cell Death, Zoom

    2021: Scientific Video – Immunotherapy Minute Series from highlighted CRI research fellows, Cancer Research Institute YouTube Channel < https://youtu.be/qnUgUio_gHc >

    2021: Short talk – Cancer Center Postdoctoral Symposium, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA

    2018: Short talk – Green Lab Extended Scientific Retreat, AR, USA

    2017: Thesis Defense Seminar – Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    2017: Interview Seminar – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA

    2017: Nominated short talk – Leskowitz Symposium, Tufts University, Boston MA, USA

    2017: Selected short talk - Keystone meeting: Type I IFNs, Friend or Foe, Banff, Canada

    2017: Selected short talk - Fusion meeting: Cell Death, Cell Stress, and Metabolism, Cancun, Mexico

    2016: Post-doctoral Interview Departmental Seminar – Texas A&M, College Station, TX, USA

    2016: Immunology Program Retreat – Tufts University, Boston MA, USA

    2015: Selected short talk - Keystone meeting: Innate Immunity and Microbial Pathogenesis, Lake Tahoe, CA, USA

    2008: Workshop facilitator/instructor - Expanding Your Horizons Program, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA

  • Beiyun C. Liu, Suresh Poudel, Xiaoyu Merlin Zhang, Mark J. Chen, Quang Tran, Cliff Guy, Mao Yang, Heather Mulder, Xiaotu Ma, Douglas R. Green “Tumor Gasdermin E acts as a rheostat to limit apoptotic cell survival and mutagenesis in anti-cancer immune environments” In review 2026

    Maureen A McGargill; Beiyun C Liu; Michael S Kuhns; Daniel Mucida; Isabella Rauch; Lauren B Rodda; Meghan A Koch; Hugo Gonzalez Velozo; Ken Cadwell; Tanya S Freedman; Tiffany C Scharschmidt; Richard Sever; Jose Ordovas-Montanes; Sara Suliman; Andrew Oberst; Brooke Runnette; Matthew F Krummel "Discovery Stack Pilot: Feasibility and Outcomes of a Scientist-Designed Peer Review Model Separating Quality and Impact”. <https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.31.685758v2.abstract>

    Sarhan J*, Liu BC*, Muendlein HI, Li P, Nilson R. Tang, AY, Rongvaux A. Bunnell, SC, Shao F, Green DR, Poltorak A. "Caspase-8 induces cleavage of gasdermin D to elicit pyroptosis during Yersinia infection” Proc Natl Acad Sci. 2018;115(46):E10888–97. <https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809548115>

    Liu BC, Sarhan J, Panda A, Muendlein HI, Ilyukha V, Coers J, Yamamoto M, Isberg RR, Poltorak A. “Constitutive Interferon Maintains GBP Expression Required for Release of Bacterial Components Upstream of Pyroptosis and Anti-DNA Responses” Cell Rep. 2018 Jul 3;24(1):155-168.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.06.012. PMCID: PMC6063733

    Liu BC, Sarhan J, Poltorak A. “Host Intrinsic Interferon Status in Infection and Immunity” Trends Mol Med. 2018 Aug;24(8):658-668. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2018.06.004. PMCID: PMC6084451

    Christopher Alvarez-Breckenridge, Kristin G. Anderson , Ana Luisa Correia, Ana Luisa Correia, Shadmehr Demehri, Huy Q. Dinh, Karen Olivia Dixon, Gavin P. Dunn, Laura Evgin, Jeremy Goc, Zinaida Good,Nir Hacohen, Patrick Han, Pavel Hand, John Hickey, Kelly Kersten, Beiyun C. Liu, Aitziber Buque, Yuxuan Phoenix Miao, Justin Milner, Yuri Pritykin, Ferdinando Pucci, Nicole E. Scharping, Lisa Sudmeier, Yufei Wang, Andreas Wieland, and Michelle M. Williams. “Lessons for the next generation of scientists from the 2nd annual Arthur and Sandra Irving Cancer Immunology Symposium”. Cancer Immunology Research. 2023 doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-23-0522

    Muendlein HI, Sarhan J, Liu BC, Connolly WM, Schworer SA, Smirnova I, Tang AY, Ilyukha V, Pietruska J, Tahmasebi S, Sonenberg N, Degterev A, Poltorak A. “Constitutive Interferon Attenuates RIPK1/3-Mediated Cytokine Translation” Cell Rep. 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.073. PMCID PMC7183097

    Sarhan J, Liu BC, Muendlein HI, Weindel CG, Smirnova I, Tang AY, Ilyukha V, Sorokin M, Buzdin A, Fitzgerald KA, Poltorak P. “Constitutive interferon signaling maintains critical threshold of MLKL expression to license necroptosis” Cell Death Differ. 2018 May 21. doi: 10.1038/s41418-018-0122-7.

    Surpris G, Chan J, Thompson M, Ilyukha V, Liu BC, Atianand M, Sharma S, Volkova T, Smirnova I, Fitzgerald KA, Poltorak A. “Cutting Edge: Novel Tmem173 Allele Reveals Importance of STING N Terminus in Trafficking and Type I IFN Production” J Immunol. 2016 Jan 15;196(2):547-52. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1501415. PMCID: PMC4707084

    Ponichtera HE, Shainheit MG, Liu BC, Raychowdbury R, Larkin BM, Russo JM, Salantes DB, Lai CQ,Parnell LD, Yun TJ, Cheong C, Bunnell SC, Hacohen N, Stadecker MJ. “CD209a Expression of Dendritic Cells is Critical for the Development of Pathogenic Th17 Cell Responses in Murine Schistosomiasis” J Immunol. 2014 May 15;192(10):4655-65. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1400121. PMCID: PMC4030302

    Ophir MJ, Liu BC, Bunnell SC. “The N terminus of SKAP55 enables T cell adhesion to TCR and integrin ligands via distinct mechanisms” J Cell Biol. 2013 Dec 23;203(6):1021-41. doi: 10.1083/jcb.201305088. PMCID: PMC3871428

  • 2022: Travel Award for 2nd annual Arthur and Sandra Irving Cancer Immunology Symposium

    2020-2022: CRI-Irvington Postdoctoral Award, Cancer Research Institute

    2016-2018: NIAID R21 AI126050 awarded to Dr. Alexander Poltorak (co-written with mentor)

    2016: Speaker Winner - Immunology Program Travel Award senior division, Tufts University

    2014: Poster Winner - Immunology Program Travel Award junior division, Tufts University

Get in Touch

To work with me, simply email Beiyun@cliubioanimation.studio with the following information: 

  1. Your name, email contact, and timezone

  2. Brief project description

  3. Relevant supporting material to help me better understand your vision - these can be project drafts, research papers, sample visuals, etc. 

I generally respond within 2 business days with follow-up questions and to set up a virtual meeting to discuss project details. 

My timezone is UTC-5.

Looking forward to connecting!