Dr. Liao is a Professor of Medicine and Research Director of Duke Human Vaccine Institute. Dr. Liao is a MD virologist, trained in China. In early 1980’s, Dr. Liao made major contributions to the first isolation of epidemic hemorrhagic fever virus (hataanvirus) from Apodemus agraius using tissue culture in China. The successful identification and isolation of Hataanvirus enabled the early diagnosis and treatment of the disease, and advancement of HFRS research towards prevention by development of a killed vaccine that has been currently used in China. Dr. Liao received his PhD from the UNC-CH in biochemistry in 1991, and his postdoctoral training on HIV-1 molecular biology and pathogenesis of HIV-1 at Duke University between 1991-1994, and joined the faculty at Duke University in 1994. Dr. Liao is an expert in medical virology, molecular biology and HIV-1 vaccine development.