MSU Sociology Dr. Hui Liu to serve on National Institutes of Health Study Section

May 3, 2022 - Karessa Weir

Dr. Hui "Cathy" Liu has accepted an invitation to serve as a standing member of the National Institutes of Health's Social Sciences and Population Studies B Study Section at the Center for Scientific Review. This position is for four years, starting July 1.

"Membership on an Initial/Integrated Review Group (IRG) represents a major commitment of professional time and energy as well as a unique opportunity to contribute to the national biomedical research effort. IRGs review applications submitted to NIH, make recommendations on the applications to the appropriate NIH national advisory council or board, and survey the status of research in their fields of science. These functions are of great value to the medical and allied research field," wrote CSR Director Noni Byrnes.

Dr. Liu was nominated to the section "because of your demonstrated competence and achievement in your scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of your research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements, and honors," Dr. Byrnes wrote.

Dr. Liu is a Professor of Sociology and Director of the Family and Population Health (FPH) Laboratory at Michigan State University. Before joining MSU in 2008, she received her B.A. and M.A. in economics from Nankai University, China, her M.S. in Statistics, and Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research is broadly guided by the aging and life course perspective to study social determinants of population health. Specifically, Dr. Liu has focused on using innovative quantitative methods to develop, test, and promote scientific understanding of marriage and family processes related to population health and well-being over the life course. Her interests in marriage also extend to other “marriage-like” intimate relationships such as LGBTQ relationships and partnered sexuality, and how they are linked to population health and well-being. Dr. Liu has received several prestigious national awards including an NIH Career Award (Mentored Research Scientist Development Award). Her research has been widely reported in prominent national and international news outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, USA Today, US News and World Report, TIME, ABC News, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, Daily Mail, Sydney Morning Herald, The Times of India, China Daily and Iran Daily.