Liang Lab

Everyone begins their journey in their mother’s womb. Pregnancy is a dynamic biological process driven by the intricate interplay of many molecules, including hormones and essential metabolites. These molecules orchestrate the remarkable changes required for the development of new life. Our research focuses on advancing maternal-infant and women's health by leveraging cutting-edge metabolomics, multi-omics technologies, and innovative experimental approaches. By analyzing molecules in small-volume biofluids across both healthy and disease states, we aim to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets to revolutionize the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of adverse pregnancy outcomes and maternal health challenges.  

Our work in pregnancy metabolomics has defined the first weekly metabolic profiles of human pregnancy using maternal blood, establishing the “metabolic clock of pregnancy” with five metabolites to predict gestational age. This research contributed to identifying key metabolic pathways involved in pregnancy and maternal health. It has expanded into areas such as the short-term and long-term health outcomes of pregnancy, the impact of the microbiome and environmental exposures, and racial disparities.  

Our laboratory is located on the third floor of the Basic Science Building at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where we are part of an interdisciplinary community of scientists, clinicians, and public health researchers. This collaborative environment bridges the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, biochemistry, molecular biology, epidemiology, and computational science, fostering innovation and accelerating the translation of our discoveries into real-world applications.  

(Cell, 2020)

(Credit: Liang Liang and Paul Trainor)