Kathleen Liu, MD, PhD

Professor In Residence

EDUCATION

College: Harvard University, AB
Medical/Graduate School: University of California, San Francisco, MD, PhD

RESEARCH

My current research areas of interest focus on the predictive and pathogenetic role of biomarkers for both acute and chronic disease states. My long term goal is to identify and validate novel biomarkers of organ injury (specifically, the kidney and lung) that may have predictive value for disease outcomes as well as shed important insight into disease pathogenesis. In addition, I have a major interest in clinical trials in the Intensive Care Unit, with a particular focus on acute lung injury and acute kidney injury.

Education
2018 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
M.A.S. in Clinical Research, 2007 - Graduate Division (Advance Training in Clinical Research), University of California, San Francisco
M.D., 1999 - Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Ph.D., 1997 - Graduate Division (Biochemistry), University of California, San Francisco
Websites
Publications

  1. Liu KD, Siew ED, Tuot DS, Vijayan A, Matzumura Umemoto G, Birkelo BC, Lee BJ, Kwong YD, McCoy IE, Delucchi K, Zhuo H, Hsu CY. A Conservative Dialysis Strategy and Kidney Function Recovery in Dialysis-Requiring Acute Kidney Injury: The Liberation From Acute Dialysis (LIBERATE-D) Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2025. PMID: 41201895


  2. Saeed F, Duberstein PR, White DB, Liu KD, Epstein RM, Fiscella KA. Time-limited trials for acute dialysis decision-making for critically ill older patients: rationale, communication strategies, and future research. Current opinion in nephrology and hypertension 2026. PMID: 41492246


  3. Schell-Chaple HM, Liu KD, Matthay MA, Sessler DI, Puntillo KA. Effects of IV Acetaminophen on Core Body Temperature and Hemodynamic Responses in Febrile Critically Ill Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Critical care medicine 2017. PMID: 28319467


  4. Park M, Hsu CY, Go AS, Feldman HI, Xie D, Zhang X, Mifflin T, Waikar SS, Sabbisetti VS, Bonventre JV, Coresh J, Nelson RG, Kimmel PL, Kusek JW, Rahman M, Schelling JR, Vasan RS, Liu KD. Urine Kidney Injury Biomarkers and Risks of Cardiovascular Disease Events and All-Cause Death: The CRIC Study. Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN 2017. PMID: 28254771


  5. Chawla LS, Bellomo R, Bihorac A, Goldstein SL, Siew ED, Bagshaw SM, Bittleman D, Cruz D, Endre Z, Fitzgerald RL, Forni L, Kane-Gill SL, Hoste E, Koyner J, Liu KD, Macedo E, Mehta R, Murray P, Nadim M, Ostermann M, Palevsky PM, Pannu N, Rosner M, Wald R, Zarbock A, Ronco C, Kellum JA, Acute Disease Quality Initiative Workgroup 16.. Acute kidney disease and renal recovery: consensus report of the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) 16 Workgroup. Nature reviews. Nephrology 2017. PMID: 28239173


  6. Hendrickson CM, Abbott J, Zhuo H, Liu KD, Calfee CS, Matthay MA. Higher mini-BAL total protein concentration in early ARDS predicts faster resolution of lung injury measured by more ventilator-free days. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology 2017. PMID: 28213470


  7. Waikar SS, Sabbisetti V, Ärnlöv J, Carlsson AC, Coresh J, Feldman HI, Foster MC, Fufaa GD, Helmersson-Karlqvist J, Hsu CY, Kimmel PL, Larsson A, Liu Y, Lind L, Liu KD, Mifflin TE, Nelson RG, Risérus U, Vasan RS, Xie D, Zhang X, Bonventre JV. Relationship of proximal tubular injury to chronic kidney disease as assessed by urinary kidney injury molecule-1 in five cohort studies. Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association 2016. PMID: 27270293


  8. McSparron JI, Hayes MM, Poston JT, Thomson CC, Fessler HE, Stapleton RD, Carlos WG, Hinkle L, Liu K, Shieh S, Ali A, Rogers A, Shah NG, Slack D, Patel B, Wolfe K, Schweickert WD, Bakhru RN, Shin S, Sell RE, Luks AM. ATS Core Curriculum 2016: Part II. Adult Critical Care Medicine. Annals of the American Thoracic Society 2016. PMID: 27144797


  9. Ghannoum M, Wiegand TJ, Liu KD, Calello DP, Godin M, Lavergne V, Gosselin S, Nolin TD, Hoffman RS, EXTRIP workgroup. Extracorporeal treatment for theophylline poisoning: systematic review and recommendations from the EXTRIP workgroup. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) 2015. PMID: 25715736


  10. Fufaa GD, Weil EJ, Nelson RG, Hanson RL, Bonventre JV, Sabbisetti V, Waikar SS, Mifflin TE, Zhang X, Xie D, Hsu CY, Feldman HI, Coresh J, Vasan RS, Kimmel PL, Liu KD. Association of urinary KIM-1, L-FABP, NAG and NGAL with incident end-stage renal disease and mortality in American Indians with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia 2014. PMID: 25316431


  11. Liu KD, Dong N, Truwit JD. Rosuvastatin for sepsis-associated ARDS. The New England journal of medicine 2014. PMID: 25184876


  12. Lameire NH, Bagga A, Cruz D, De Maeseneer J, Endre Z, Kellum JA, Liu KD, Mehta RL, Pannu N, Van Biesen W, Vanholder R. Acute kidney injury: an increasing global concern. Lancet (London, England) 2013. PMID: 23727171


  13. Lavergne V, Nolin TD, Hoffman RS, Roberts D, Gosselin S, Goldfarb DS, Kielstein JT, Mactier R, Maclaren R, Mowry JB, Bunchman TE, Juurlink D, Megarbane B, Anseeuw K, Winchester JF, Dargan PI, Liu KD, Hoegberg LC, Li Y, Calello DP, Burdmann EA, Yates C, Laliberté M, Decker BS, Mello-Da-Silva CA, Lavonas E, Ghannoum M. The EXTRIP (EXtracorporeal TReatments In Poisoning) workgroup: guideline methodology. Clinical toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.) 2012. PMID: 22578059


  14. Liu KD. Acute kidney injury: is acute kidney injury a risk factor for long-term mortality? Nature reviews. Nephrology 2010. PMID: 20585317