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Nu-Chu Liang

Associate Professor, Psychology

Research Interests

  • taste, ingestive behaviors, animal models of obesity and eating disorders, neurobiology of energy metabolism
  • polydrug use and behavior
  • cognitive and emotional behaviors in aging and dementia

Research Description

Feeding is fundamental to survival and reproduction. Multiple factors contribute to aberrant eating behaviors and the resulting obesity, eating disorders, metabolic and cognitive dysfunction. My overall research program is aimed at identifying the underlying mechanisms of reward, body weight control, energy metabolism, and related cognitive function. Our current focus are ingestive behaviors (e.g., eating and drug taking) and how various factors (e.g. exercise, genetics, and environment) contribute to clinical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, drug dependence, and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Education

Postdoctoral training, Johns Hopkins University
Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Additional Campus Affiliations

Associate Professor, Psychology
Associate Professor, Nutritional Sciences
Affiliate, Personalized Nutrition Initiative, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology

Academic Service

  • Undergraduate students can take research course (PSYC 290 or MCB 290) to gain research skills and experience in the Liang lab.
  • Graduate applicants are wellcome to send (ncliang8@illinois.edu) inquiry about graduate study with the Liang lab through affiliate programs e.g., psychology, neuroscience program, division of nutritional sciences.

Recent Publications

Shi, L., Kang, S., Choi, C. Y., Noonan, B. L., Carrica, L. K., Liang, N. C., & Gulley, J. M. (2024). Effects of combined exposure to ethanol and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol during adolescence on synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex of Long Evans rats. Neuropharmacology, 242, Article 109765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109765

Carrica, L. K., Choi, C. Y., Walter, F. A., Noonan, B. L., Shi, L., Johnson, C. T., Bradshaw, H. B., Liang, N. C., & Gulley, J. M. (2023). Effects of combined use of alcohol and delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol on working memory in Long Evans rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 449, Article 114475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114475

Sangiamo, D. T., Weingarten, M. J., Choi, C. Y., Das, A., & Liang, N. C. (2023). Experience with dronabinol consumption facilitated a stimulant effect of alcohol and affected alcohol-related changes in frontal cortical endocannabinoid levels in male rats. Behavioural Brain Research, 452, Article 114587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114587

Zhao, S., Lee, L., Zhao, Y., Liang, N. C., & Chen, Y. S. (2023). Photoacoustic signal enhancement in dual-contrast gastrin-releasing peptide receptor-targeted nanobubbles. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11, Article 1102651. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1102651

Liang, N. C. (2022). Concomitant Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Alcohol Use: Impact on Cognitive Function and Ingestive Behavior. In Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions: From Biology to Public Health (pp. 2755-2773). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92392-1_150

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