• 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

• 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 ([email protected]) inquiry about graduate study with the Liang lab through affiliate programs e.g., psychology, neuroscience program, division of nutritional sciences.

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.