Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Biophysics
Associate Chair for Graduate Education, Mechanical Engineering
Mentoring Plan
Address
2674 GGB
2350 Hayward, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Phone: (734) 764-7719
Research Interests
Mechanobiology and mechanotransduction, bottom-up synthetic biology, quantitative cell biology
Research Areas
Biomechanics & Biosystems Engineering, Micro/Nano Engineering
Honors & Awards
- Invited discussant, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Synthetic Cells Workshop, 2023
- Monroe-Brown Foundation Service Excellence Award, College of Engineering, 2023
- Robert M. Caddell Memorial Award for Research, Mechanical Engineering, 2022
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty Achievement Award, 2022
- Invited participant, National Academy of Engineering German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, 2019
- Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researcher (Germany), 2018
- Endeavour Executive Fellowship (Australia), 2018
- Emerging Investigator from Chemical Communications, 2017
- Future of Biophysics Symposium Speaker at Biophysical Society Meeting, 2017
- Rising Star Award from BMES-Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, 2017
- Young Innovator in Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, 2014
- UROP Outstanding Research Mentor Award – Honorable Mention, University of Michigan, 2013
- Director's New Innovator’s Award, National Institute of Health, 2012
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2008
- Summer meeting travel award, American Society of Cell Biology, 2007
- Student travel award, Biophysical Society, 2005
- PGS-B Scholarship; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada, 2005
- PGS-A Scholarship; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada, 2003
- Science Scholar, University of British Columbia, 2000
Faculty Type
Tenured and Tenure-Track
Related News
ME alumnus receives prestigious Outstanding Doctoral Research in Biophysics Award
10/21/2024
Nadab Wubshet, former ME PhD student, has received the award for outstanding contributions to the study of the mechanics of actin cytoskeleton in cells.
Regents Approve ME Faculty Promotions
05/24/2024
The Regents of the University of Michigan have approved the following promotions of ME faculty, effective September 1, 2024.
Research from the Liu lab highlighted in NASEM proceedings
09/26/2023
The NSF-funded research from Liu’s lab is featured in the proceedings entitled Understanding the Rules of Life.
COE Faculty Awards 2022-23 Announced
02/10/2023
Each year, the College of Engineering honors individual members of its faculty for outstanding contributions to the College, University, and the profession through a series of awards. Four ME faculty members are 2023 recipients.
Gravity's impact on bone cells— experiments heading to the International Space Station
11/07/2022
Mechanical engineers at the University of Michigan are tackling mysteries of bone density loss in space and on Earth.
Faculty governance chair looks ahead to the coming year
08/31/2021
Allen Liu, associate professor of mechanical engineering and chair of U-M's central faculty governance system, comments on what the 2021-2022 school year will be like.
The U-M SACUA elects Allen Liu as Chair
05/01/2021
Starting May 1, 2021, Allen Liu is the new chair of the U-M Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs.
Vivian Yee Winner of Grand Award at the Michigan Science and Engineering Fair
03/17/2020
Vivian Yee is a high school working in Allen Liu's Cellular and Molecular Systems Lab. Her project, "Evaluation of the Yes-associated protein as a target for breast cancer therapy," has won the Grand Award at the Michigan Science and Engineering Fair.
NSF Grant Awarded to Allen Liu Launches New Osteoporosis Study to Outer Space
08/19/2019
A deeper look into bone cellular development and the effects of microgravity should bring a much better understanding of the condition.
High School Lab Researcher has Chance for Her Experiment to be Launched into Space
07/18/2019
Studying the effects of microgravity on cytoskeleton wins a top 5 spot for high school student in the Genes in Space Competition.
NAE includes ME professor in the 2019 German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium
01/04/2019
Sixty early-career engineers were chosen to participate in NAE's symposium to discuss leading-edge research.
Liu's research highlighted in Research Features
12/21/2017
What defines a living cell? How does one capture the molecular essence of life? These fundamental questions underpin the collaborative research program led by U-M ME Professor Allen Liu.
ME PhD Student Johanna Heureaux Receives 2017 STAR Award
09/25/2017
The STAR award honors key contributors in the Hispanic community in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math
Liu's research featured in The Scientist magazine
08/04/2017
Assistant Professor Allen Liu was featured in an article in The Scientist titled "The Mechanobiology Garage: New tools for investigating how physical forces affect cells."
Liu's Paper Accepted to Chemical Communications 2017 Emerging Investigator Issue
05/18/2017
The work, which was a collaborative effort with a research group in Minnesota, included the construction of mechanosensitive liposome with biosensing capability using cell-free expression.
Allen Liu's high school research student, Katharine Shao, receives multiple accolades for research project
04/24/2017
Shao, a Detroit Country Day high school research student for Allen Liu's lab, was awarded first place in the Cellular and Molecular Biology category at the 60th Annual Science and Engineering Fair of Metro Detroit
Liu to give talk at 'Future of Biophysics' Symposium
11/30/2016
The symposium will take place at the Biophysical Society 61st Annual Meeting in New Orleans, February 11-15, 2017
Xinyu Tan receives Helen Wu Award
03/07/2016
The award is named in honor of Helen Lun Chen Wu, a U-M alumna
Liu gives lecture for Saturday Morning Physics
12/14/2015
His lecture, titled Mechanobiology at the Cellular Length Scale, focused on how cells in our body sense and respond to mechanical cues.
Liu’s Work Featured in Special Issue of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Journal
06/19/2014
A research paper written by Dr. Allen Liu, in collaboration with Dr. Cheri Deng, will be published in a special edition of the BMES’ Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering journal.
ME Students Help Lead GISE Camp
06/11/2014
Assistant Professor Allen Liu and two of his students, both of whom are studying mechanical engineering, will be participating in this summer’s GISE camp for girls who are interested in engineering and science.
Liu Receives NIH Director's New Innovator's Award
09/13/2012
On September 13, Assistant Professor Allen Liu received the NIH Director's New Innovator's Award -- he is one of 50 investigators in the early stages of their careers to be honored with this year's award