2025-12-01T14:49:57+08:002019-12-03|
Contact Information
Title
Associate Professor
Office
(Address) E12-3024 / (Phone) +853 8822 4693
Lab
(Address) N22-3002a, E12-2036 / (Phone) +853 8822 4218
Team Office
(Address) N22-2027 / (Phone) +853 8822 9134, 8822 4217
Email
tmliu@um.edu.mo
Consultation Hours

Tue, Wed 10:00 – 11:00

Teaching

HSCI3003 Biostatistics and Experimental Design

HSCI7004 Healthcare Analytics

APAC1005 Physics Lab

HSCI4007 Translational Medicine

APAC1004 General Physics

Research Team
Name Position Office Phone Email
Changhuo XUResearch Assistant Professorchanghuoxu@um.edu.mo
Jiayue CAOResearch AssistantN22-2027+853 8822 4217jiayuecao@um.edu.mo
Chonin CHEANGPhD Student
Haoran MAPhD Studentyc57610@um.edu.mo
Libang CHENPhD Studentyc57614@um.edu.mo
Moxin LIPhD Student
Qianping CHENPhD Studentyc57644@um.edu.mo
Yumeng SHAOPhD Studentyc57675@um.edu.mo
Haoran CHENPhD Student
Soichan LEIPhD StudentN22-2027+853 8822 4217
Jia YUPhD Student
Zhiming ZHANGPhD StudentN22-2027+853 8822 4217
Yiling HUPhD StudentN22-2027+853 8822 4217
Qingqing ZHOUPhD Student
Xiaoxia CHENPhD StudentN22-2027+853 8822 4217
Moxin LIPhD Student
Chon CHEANGPhD Student
Education
PhD Graduate Institute of Photonics & Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University (2004)
BEng Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University (1999)
Positions
08/2016 – Present Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
08/2013 – 07/2016 Associate Professor, Inst. of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University
02/2012 – 12/2012 Visiting Scientist, Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
08/2009 – 07/2013 Assistant Professor, Inst. of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University
01/2005 – 07/2009 Postdoctoral Researcher, Grad. Inst. of Photonics & Optoelectronics, National Taiwan University
Research Interests

We used nonlinear optical microscopy and spectroscopy to discover optical markers for medical diagnosis. Our lab focused on the following research directions:

  1. Visualize cell death and aging dynamics with aggregated DNA fluorescence
  2. Develop blood fluorescent metabolomics for the diagnosis of acute illness
  3. Visualize tumor microenvironment with multiphoton nano-biophotonics
  4. Develop third-harmonic-generation imaging cytometry
Representative Publications
  1. Y. Hu, X. Wang, K. Lu, C. Cheang, Y. Liu, L. Xie, M. Li, Q. Zhou, W. Yan, Y. Hou, H. Zhang, W. Zheng*, C. Xu*, X. Chen, H.-M. Shen, Z.-J. Huang, Y.-H. Chen, Y. Zhou, P.-L. Cai, H. Zhong, L. Liu, X.-P. Wu, X. Liu, X. Li, N. Zeng*, Y. G. Assaraf*, and T.-M. Liu*, “Aggregation-Induced Emission of DNA Fluorescence as a Novel Pan Marker of Cell Death, Senescence and Sepsis in vitro and in vivo,” Theranostics 16, 1063- 1078 (2026).
  2. X. Ye, H.-Y. Chen, H.-C. Gao, J.-Y. Lu, Y.-H. Liao, T.-M. Liu*, Y.-H. Cheng, Y. Wei, L.-I. Seng, Y. Chen, T.-D. Wang*, and C.-K. Sun*, “Color-Resolved Third Harmonic Generation Microscopy for Single-RBC HbA1c Measurement and Glycemic History Assessment,” Science Advances 11, eady1318 (2025).
  3. Y. Chen, X. Geng, G. H. Rao, W.-C. Wei, A. Venkateswararao, T.-M. Liu*, K.-T. Wong*, Y. Li, P. C. Ke, and Z. Yuan*, “Genetically engineered bacteria outer membrane vesicles coated small-molecule organic dye facilitates cDC1s-mediated antitumor immune cascade response for NIR-II tumor photoimmunotheranostics,” Chemical Engineering Journal 520, 166083 (2025).
  4. C. Liu, X. Tian, Z. Wang, J. C. W. Mak, S. Mao, T.-M. Liu*, and Y. Zheng*, “Hydrogen-induced Disruption of the Airway Mucus Barrier Enhances Nebulized RNA Delivery to Reverse Pulmonary Fibrosis,” Science Advances 11, eadt2752 (2025).
  5. L. Du, H. Shen, C. Xu*, X. Zhu, B. Wang, Q. Zhou, C. Liu, H. H. Y. Sung, R. T. K. Kwok, J. W. Y. Lam*, Q. Zhou, T.-M. Liu*, B. Z. Tang*, “Molecule to Aggregate: Designing AIE Nanocrystals for Low-Power Backward Third-Harmonic Generation Angiography,” Advanced Materials 37, e2414419 (2025).
  6. X. Wang, Z. Zhang, X. Ye, L. Chen, W. Zheng, N. Zeng*, Z. Shen, F. Guo, I. O. Koshevoy, K. Kisel, P.-T. Chou*, and T.-M. Liu*, “Assessing wound healing in vivo using a dual-function phosphorescent probe sensitive to tissue oxygenation and regenerating collagen,” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 17, 398-407 (2024). Front Cover
  7. K. P., A. Bhattacharya, L. Du, A. Silswal, M. Li, J. Cao, Q. Zhou, W. Zheng*, T.-M. Liu*, and A. L. Koner*, “Activity-based Dicyanoisophorone Derivatives: Fluorogenic Toolbox Enables Direct Visualization and Monitoring of Esterase Activity in Tumor Models,” Analytical Chemistry 96, 18278-18286 (2024).
  8. J. Wu, J. H. Lei, M. Li, A. Zhang, Y. Li, X. Liang, S. C. de Souza, Z. Yuan, C. Wang, G. Chen, T.-M. Liu*, C.-X. Deng*, Z. Tang*, and S. Qu*, “Carbon Dots Crosslinked Egg White Hydrogel for Tissue Engineering,” Advanced Science 11, 2404702 (2024).
  9. H. Shen, L. Du, C. Xu*, B. Wang, Q. Zhou, R. Ye, R. T. K. KwokJacky, W. Y. Lam, G. Xing, J. Sun, T.-M. Liu*, and B. Z. Tang*, “A Near-Infrared-II Excitable Pyridinium Probe with 1000-Fold ON/OFF Ratio for γ-Glutamyltranspeptidase and Cancer Detection,” ACS Nano 18, 20268-20282 (2024).
  10. S. Huang#, F. Xing#, Y. Dai#, Z. Zhang, G. Zhou, S. Yang, Y. Liu, Z. Yuan, K. Q. Luo, T. Ying, D. Chu*, T.-M. Liu*, C.-X. Deng*, Q. Zhao*, “Navigating Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Engineered Natural Killer Cells as Drug Carriers via Three-Dimensional Mapping of the Tumor Microenvironment,” Journal of Controlled Release 362, 524-535 (2023).
  11. L. Chen, G. Qin, Y. Liu, M. Li, Y. Li, L. Guo, L. Du, W. Zheng, P. Wu, Y.-H. Chuang, X. Wang*, T.-D. Wang*, J.-A. A. Ho*, T.-M. Liu*, “Label-free optical metabolic imaging of adipose tissues for prediabetes diagnosis,” Theranostics 13, 3550-3567 (2023).
  12. Y.-Q. Song, K.-J. Wu, Z. Zhang, T.-M. Liu, C.-N. Ko, W.-G. Zhu, D.-L. Ma, W. Wang, C.-H. Leung*, “Development of a sensitive luminescent probe to uncover new BRD4 inhibitors in living cells,” Chemical Engineering Journal 463, 142356 (2023).
  13. Y. Yan, F. Xing, J. Cao, Y. Hu, L. Li, Z. Gao, H. Jia, K. Miao, F. Shao, C.-X. Deng*, K. Q. Luo*, L. T. O. Lee*, T.-M. Liu*, “Fluorescence intensity and lifetime imaging of lipofuscin-like autofluorescence for label-free predicting clinical drug response in cancer,” Redox Biology 59, 102578 (2023).
  14. L.-X. Yang, Y.-C. Liu, C.-H. Cho, Y.-R. Chen, C.-S. Yang, Y.-L. Lu, Z. Zhang, Y.-T. Tsai, Y.-C. Chin, J. Yu, H.-M. Pan, W.-R. Jiang, Z.-C. Chia, W.-S. Huang, Y.-L. Chiu, C.-K. Sun, Y.-T. Huang, L.-M. Chen, K.-T. Wong, H.-M. Huang,  C.-H. Chen*, Y. J. Chang*, C.-C. Huang*, and T.-M. Liu*, “A universal strategy for the fabrication of single-photon and multiphoton NIR nanoparticles by loading organic dyes into water-soluble polymer nanosponges,” Journal of Nanobiotechnology 20, 311 (2022).
  15. F. Xing, Y.-C. Liu, S. Huang, X. Lyu, S. M. Su, U. I. Chan, P.-C. Wu, Y. Yan, N. Ai, J. Li, M. Zhao, B. K. Rajendran, J. Liu, F. Shao, H. Sun, T. K. Choi, W. Zhu, G. Luo, S. Liu, D. L. Xu, K. L. Chan, Q. Zhao, K. Miao, K. Q. Luo, W. Ge, X. Xu, G. Wang*, T.-M. Liu*, C.-X. Deng*, “Accelerating precision anti-cancer therapy by time-lapse and label-free 3D tumor slice culture platform,” Theranostics 11, 9415-9430 (2021).
  16. C.-H. Wu, K. S. Kisel, M. K. Thangavel, Y.-T. Chen, K.-H. Chang, M.-R. Tsai, C.-Y. Chu, Y.-F. Shen, P.-C. Wu, Z. Zhang, T.-M. Liu*, J. Jänis, E. V. Grachova, J. R. Shakirova, S. P. Tunik*, I. O. Koshevoy*, P.-T. Chou*, “Functionalizing collagen with vessel-penetrating two-photon phosphorescence probes: A new in vivo strategy to map oxygen concentration in tumor microenvironment and tissue ischemia,” Advanced Science 8, 2102788 (2021).
  17. Y. Li, Y. He, K. Miao, Y. Zheng, C. Deng, and T.-M. Liu*, “Imaging of Macrophage Mitochondria Dynamics in vivo Reveals Cellular Activation Phenotype for Diagnosis,” Theranostics 10, 2897-2917 (2020).
  18. C.-W. Lee, P.-C. Wu, I-L. Hsu, T.-M. Liu,* W.-H. Chong, C.-H. Wu, T.-Y. Hsieh, L.-Z. Guo, Y. Tsao, P.-T. Wu, J. Yu, P.-J. Tsai, H.-S. Huang, Y.-C. Chuang, and C.-C. Huang*, “New templated Ostwald ripening process of mesostructured FeOOH for third-harmonic generation bioimaging,” Small 15, 1805086 (2019).
  19. T.-M. Liu*, J. Conde*, T. Lipiński, A. Bednarkiewicz, C.-C. Huang*, “Smart NIR linear and nonlinear optical nanomaterials for cancer theranostics: Prospects in photomedicine,” Progress in Materials Science 88, 89-135 (2017).
  20. T.-M. Liu*, J. Conde*, T. Lipiński, A. Bednarkiewicz, C.-C. Huang*, “Revisiting the classification of NIR absorbing/emitting Nanomaterials for in vivo bio-applications,” NPG Asia Materials 8, e295 (2016).
  21. S.-W. Chou, C.-L. Liu, T.-M. Liu*, Y.-F. Shen, L.-C. Kuo, C.-H. Wu, T.-Y. Hsieh, P.-C. Wu, M.-R. Tsai, C.-C. Yang, K.-Y. Chang, M.-H. Lu, P.-C. Li, S.-P. Cheng, Y.-H. Wang, C.-W. Lu, Y.-A. Chen, C.-C. Huang, C.-R. Chris Wang, J.-K. Hsiao,* M.-L. Li*, and P.-T. Chou*, “Infrared-active quadruple contrast FePt nanoparticles for multiple scale molecular imaging,” Biomaterials 85, 54-64 (2016).
  22. Y.-F. Shen, M.-R. Tsai, S.-C. Chen, Y.-S. Leung, C.-T. Hsieh, Y.-S. Chen, F.-L. Huang, R. P. Obena, M. M. L. Zulueta, H.-Y. Huang, W.-J. Lee, K.-C. Tang, C.-T. Kung, M.-H. Chen, D.-B. Shieh, Y.-J. Chen, T.-M. Liu*, P.-T. Chou*, and C.-K. Sun*, “Imaging Endogenous Bilirubins with Two-Photon Fluorescence of Bilirubin Dimers,” Analytical Chemistry 87, 7575-7582 (2015).
  23. C.-L. Liu, T.-M. Liu*, T.-Y. Hsieh, H.-W. Liu, Y.-S. Chen, C.-K. Tsai, H.-C. Chen, J.-W. Lin, R.-B. Hsu, T.-D. Wang, C.-C. Chen, C.-K. Sun, and P.-T. Chou*, “In vivo Metabolic Imaging of Insulin with Multiphoton Fluorescence of Human Insulin-Au Nanodots,” Small 9, 2103-2110 (2013).
  24. M.-Y. Liao, C.-H. Wu, P.-S. Lai, J. Yu, H.-P. Lin, T.-M. Liu*, and C.-C. Huang* “Surface State Mediated NIR Two-Photon Fluorescence of Iron Oxides for Nonlinear Optical Microscopy,” Advanced Functional Materials 23, 2044-2051 (2013). 

Monograph

T.-M. Liu. Ultrafast Imaging and Spectroscopy for Biomedicine, 1st Ed., American Institute of Physics, May 2022.
Full publications list
Research Grants
Project Period Title Funding Agent Role
09/05/2025 – 08/05/2028

Boundary-imaging guided and Large-Language-Model enhanced single-cell

annotation on high-density spatial transcriptomic chips

FDCT 0131/2024/RIB2		 Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) PI
31/10/2024 – 30/10/2027

Third Harmonic Generation Spectral Imaging of Red-Blood-Cell HbA1c for Rapid Glycemic Trajectory Reconstruction

FDCT 0054/2024/RIB1		 Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) PI
18/03/2022 – 17/03/2025

Blood fluorometer for the monitoring of acute illness

HF-003-2021		 Huafa Group Corporation/ UM-Huafa joint Lab funding  PI

16/01/2024-15/01/2027

Validation of key Biomarkers for Chronic Kidney Disease and Development of POCT Methods and Clinical Products

FDCT 0013/2023/RIC		 Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) Co-PI

6/01/2024-15/01/2027

Detect the Emergence of Sepsis with Blood Fluorescence 

FDCT 0003/2023/RIC		 Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) PI
18/07/2021 – 17/07/2023

Diagnose Diabetes Mellitus Conditions at its Early Stage with Metabolic Fluorochromic Imaging and Spectroscopy

FDCT 0026/2021/A		 Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) PI
08/06/2021 – 07/06/2024

Label-free monitoring the apoptosis dynamics with multiphoton metabolic imaging of lipofuscin and porphyrin

FDCT 0120/2020/A3		 Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) PI
08/15/2017 – 08/14/2020 Investigating the dynamics of melanoma angiogenesis with multiphoton in vivo microscopy
FDCT/018/2017/A1		 Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) PI
03/27/2017 – 03/26/2020 Metabolic imaging of macrophages in a bleeding micro-environment
FDCT/122/2016/A3		 Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) PI
Patents
03/2025 US 12,251,234 B2 Systems and methods for transdermally detecting tissue ischemia and evaluating organ function using serum luminescence
09/2013 USA patent US 8,524,445 B2 Detect and Identify Virus by the Microwave Absorption Spectroscopy
05/2004 USA patent US 6,734,976 B2 Method and System for Measuring an Ultrashort Optical Pulse

Awards

2019

Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)

09/2018

Silver prize in 2018 Guangdong Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (2018 廣東“眾創杯”創業創新大賽)
08/2018 Third Prize of 6th Jiangsu Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Competition (第六屆“創業江蘇”科技創業大賽)
07/2018 Second Prize of Greater Bay Area (Macau) Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition” (大灣區（澳門）青年創新創業大賽)
2015 Potential Startup Awards (Awarded 0.55 million NT$)
Ministry of Science & Technology, Taiwan
2014

Outstanding Startup Awards (Awarded 2 million NT$)
Ministry of Science & Technology, Taiwan
Professional Activities
Society memberships
2010 – Present Member, American Chemical Society (ACS)
2005 – Present Member, International Society for Optics and  Photonics (SPIE)
2002 – Present Senior Member, Optical Society of America (OSA)
2001 – Present Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
Society service
2017 – Present Topical Editor, Chinese Optics Letter
2017 – Present Topical Editor, Scientific Reports

Teaching experience

  • APAC 1004 General Physcis
  • APAC 1005 Physics Lab
  • HSCI 3003 Biostatistics and Experimental Design
  • HSCI 4007 Translational Medicine
  • HSCI 7004 Healthcare Analytics
  • GEST1002 Quantitative Reasoning
Administrative leadership & committee service
2014 – 2016 Co-coach, Medical Device Innovation in NTU SPARK
2014 – 2016 Deputy Director, Creativity and Entrepreneurship Program
2013 – 2014 Member , Campus Planning Committee
2011 – 2016 Section Chief, International Collaboration, Molecular Imaging Center
2009 – 2011 Director, Student Activity Division, Office of Student Affairs