Wei Liu

Bio:

Professional Academic Experience

2012 - present: Postdoctoral fellow, The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) 

IIASA is an international research organization located in Laxenburg, near Vienna, in Austria. IIASA conducts interdisciplinary scientific studies on environmental, economic, technological and social issues in the context of human dimensions of global change. IIASA’s mission is "to provide insights and guidance to policymakers worldwide by finding solutions to global and universal problems through applied systems analysis in order to improve human and social wellbeing and to protect the environment."

It's a 2-year appointment and I will be affiliated with two programs over there. The main program is Risk, Vulnerability, and Policy program, and a secondary program is Ecosystem Services and Management program. My proposed research project is "The long-term interplay of vulnerability to natural hazards and ecosystem services provision in a coupled human and natural system". 

2004-2012: Ph.D. student, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, under the direction of Dr. Jianguo (Jack) Liu
Research focuses on integrating ecology with socioeconomics to study Giant Panda conservation in Wolong Natural Reserve, China.

2001-2004: M.S. Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology Department, Iowa State University, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major under the direction of Dr. Carol Vleck.
Research topics included: measuring DNA oxidative damage of free living animals and investigation of how DNA oxidative damage varies with maximum lifespan in birds.

2000-2001: Graduate research assistant, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, under the directionof Dr. Kan Wang.
Research topics included: designing a cellulose gene for transformation into maize for renewable energy and testing the effect of different promoters on gene transformation in maize.

1998-2000: Undergraduate Research Assistant at the National Key Lab of Biomembrane and Membranic Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China under the direction Prof. Caihong Wu and Dr. Jindong Zhao.
Research topics included: testing the effect of lead ions on cultured mouse muscle cells using patch clamp and expressing cloned Cyanobacteria Anabaena SOD gene and measuring the activity of SOD protein.

1997-1999: Undergraduate Research Assistant at Giant Panda and Wildlife Research Center, Peking University, Beijing, China under the direction of Prof. Wenshi Pan.
Research topics included: investigation of the flora at giant panda habitat in Changqing Giant Panda Reserve, Shaanxi, China, and behavior observation and individual identification of white-headed langur and socioeconomic investigation of the langur habitats in Chongzuo, Guangxi, China.