Gang Logan Liu

Education

• Ph.D. in Bioengineering, University of California-Berkeley and San Francisco, 2006

Biography

Prof. G. Logan Liu has a multidisciplinary educational background and was trained in both engineering technology development and clinical medical research environment.  He obtained his joint Ph.D. degree in Bioengineering from University of California-Berkeley and University of California-San Francisco with the honor of outstanding publication award.  His graduate research was focusing on developing micro and nanophotonic and electronic molecular detection systems for cancer diagnosis and therapy. He received his postdoctoral training in Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at San Francisco where he worked with breast and prostate oncologists and clinical medical workers to apply novel nanotechnologies in diagnosing and curing cancers.  After the medical postdoctoral training, he joined Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a prestigious Lawrence Fellow funded by U.S. Department of Energy to foster the nanobiotechnology research there for biodefense applications. In 2008 Prof. Liu joined University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and now is an associate professor in department of electrical and computer engineering and micro and nanotechnology laboratory. His expertise includes design, modeling, and fabrication of nanoelectronic and nanophotonic devices and their biomedical applications. He has published over 100 journal and conference papers as well as several book chapters. His research focuses on designing and developing integrative bionanophotonic and mobile sensing technologies and devices for the applications of advanced nanomanufacturing, bioimaging, cancer diagnostics and therapy, environmental sensing and mobile health. Dr. Liu has been awarded for several major awards in the past including Lawrence fellowship, Presidential Early-Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), lab-on-a-chip emerging investigator, Vodafone wireless innovation award and Nokia sensing XChallenge distinguished award. He is an elected fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers. His research works on colorimetric nanoplasmonic device and mobile phone nanosensor were reported by Forbes, Wired magazine, Huffington Post, NBC, and many other major news media.

Academic Positions

• Affiliated Faculty Member, Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2009-present
• Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008-present
• Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2014-present

Other Professional Employment

• Lawrence Fellow, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, 2007-2008
• Postdoctoral Scholar, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, UC-San Francisco, 2006-2007

Teaching Statement

Teaching Philosophy - Being engaging, inspiring and innovative In my view, teaching in higher education institutions is not only to transfer advanced knowledge to students, but more importantly to inspire younger generations to use the learnt knowledge pursuing their own career goals and serving the whole society better in the future. Particularly for the undergraduate and graduate students in my department of electrical and computer engineering at Illinois, someday many of them will become the pillars and leaders of electronics and information industry in the United States and many other countries all over the world. Training them to be highly qualified and motivated electrical and computer engineers is a huge responsibility for every faculty member in my department including myself.

Always striving to continuously improve my teaching effectiveness, I also realize my teaching should be a constantly refreshing and reforming task. Our students from the younger generation in 21st century are facing unprecedented societal and psychological challenges, such as being overwhelmed by rapidly evolving electronics and information technologies, being used to learning from internet and social networks, as well as having huge pressure from the fierce global competitions in the economic recession with uncertain job markets. In light of these emerging challenges, the current generation of students may not respond to the traditional classroom teaching methods as effectively as 10-15 years ago when I was in their positions. As an educator I believe it is my obligation to help our young students overcome these challenges and concentrate on course materials to learn as much as they can. I also believe it is an opportunity for us to be innovative in improving teaching methods by taking the advantage of modern information technologies for the benefit of optimizing the learning efficiency of our young students.

For highly-challenging required courses such as ECE 440, in which many students showed limited interests to classical device physics, I have been gradually modifying my teaching strategy and methods to motivate students to a higher level and help them connect the relevance of fundamental physics to contemporary technology innovations. Although improving the teaching effectiveness of historically difficult course still needs consistent solid endeavors for a long time, I will keep working hard toward this objective. I firmly believe we should and can educate our students better. In addition, I am designing a new course in order to inspire our young ECE students to be creative and innovative and to help them prepare for the emerging industrial opportunities in health care technology revolutions.

Short Courses

• Plasmonics and Metamaterial, NSF Bionanophotonics Summer School
• Introduction to Nanophotonics, NSF Bionanophotonics Summer School

Research Statement

My research area lies at the intersection of engineering, physics, chemistry, biology and information technology including both theoretical and experimental aspects. Particularly I have been extremely interested in studying the micro and nano scale interface between solid-state electronic/photonic system and biological system. My research efforts have been dedicated to understand and control molecular and cellular systems using nanoengineering methods for the benefit of curing diseases, and improving life quality and preserving environmental sustainability.

Being aware of the grand challenges of 21st century we are facing in the United States and the whole world such as cancer diagnostics and therapy, agricultural and water sustainability, and affordable health care for more people, I worked tirelessly to foster innovative research projects in my lab to directly respond to these challenges with the immediate and long-term scientific, technology and societal impacts. The three closely related thrusts of my research are 1) Nano-Bio hybrid photonic devices, 2) Green microfluidic environmental sensors, and 3) Mobile digital health biochips. Due to the unique nature of my research in ECE department, I have been very active in reaching out to many Illinois colleagues from different disciplines including chemistry, physics, environmental science, agricultural and food engineering, molecular and cell biology. By participating in many campus-wide research alliances, I have contributed to a few center-scale federal grant applications and my research group has created many novel works through the multidisciplinary collaborations.

Chapters in Books

• G. L. Liu et al.(2012) "Biosensing based on Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy" in J. Li and N. Wu (Ed.),Biosensors Based on Nanomaterials and Nanodevices, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group
• G. L. Liu (2012) "Plasmon Resonance Energy Transfer Nanospectroscopy" in B. Bhushan (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology. Springer
• G. L. Liu (2010) "Introduction to Nanophotonics." In G. Popescu, Nanobiophotonics (Chap. 3). New York: McGraw-Hill
• G. L. Liu and L. P. Lee (2009) "Micro and Nano Optofluidic Flow Manipulation." In C. Yang (Ed.), Optofluidics (Chap. 7). New York: McGraw-Hill

Selected Articles in Journals

• X. Wang, G. Lin, G. Cui, X. Zhou, G. L. Liu, "White blood cell counting on smartphone paper electrochemical sensor," Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2017
• N. Li, Y. Lu, S. Li, Q. Zhang, J. Wu, J. Jiang, G. L. Liu, Q. Liu, "Monitoring the electrochemical responses of neurotransmitters through localized surface plasmon resonance using nanohole array," Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2017
• J. Jiang, Z. Xu, A. Ameen, F. Ding, G. Lin, G. L. Liu, "Large-area, lithography-free, low-cost SERS sensor with good flexibility and high performance," Nanotechnology 27, 2016
• S. Seo, X. Zhou, G. L. Liu, "Sensitivity Tuning through Additive Heterogeneous Plasmon Coupling between 3D Assembled Plasmonic Nanoparticle and Nanocup Arrays," Small 12, 2016
• J. Jiang, Z. Xu, J. Lin, G. L. Liu, "Lithography-free, low-cost method for improving photodiode performance by etching silicon nano-cones as anti-reflection layer," Journal of Sensors, 2016
• N. Li, D. Zhang, Q. Zhang, Y. Lu, J. Jiang, G. L. Liu, Q. Liu，“Combing localized surface plasmon resonance with anodic stripping voltammetry for heavy metal ion detection，” Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 231， 2016
• P. G. Gezera, G. L. Liu, J. L. Kokini，“Detection of acrylamide using a biodegradable zein-based sensor with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy，” Food Control 68，2016
• D. Zhang, Y. Lu, Q. Zhang, Y. Yao, S. Li, H. Li, S. Zhuang, J. Jiang, G. L. Liu, Q. Liu，“Nanoplasmonic monitoring of odorants binding to olfactory proteins from honeybee as biosensor for chemical detection，” Sensors and Actuators B： Chemical 221，2016
• Z. Xu , J. Jiang , X. Wang , K. Han , A. Ameen , I. Khan , T. Chang, and G. L. Liu，”Large-area uniform and low-cost dual-mode plasmonic naked-eye colorimetry and SERS sensor with handheld Raman spectrometer，“ Nanoscale 8，2016
• D. Zhang, Y. Lu, Q. Zhang, L. Liu, S. Li, Y. Yao, J. Jiang, G. L. Liu, Q. Liu，“ Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 222，2016
• D. Zhang, Q. Zhang, Y. Lu, Y. Yao, S. Li, J. Jiang, G. L. Liu, Q. Liu，“Peptide Functionalized Nanoplasmonic Sensor for Explosive Detection，” Nano-Micro Letters 8，2016
• A. Hsiao, M. R. Gartia, T.-W. Chang, X. Wang, P. Khumwan, G. L. Liu, "Colorimetric plasmon resonance microfluidics on nanohole array sensors," Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research 5, 24-32, 2015
• T.-W. Chang, X. Wang, A. Hsiao, Z. Xu, G. Lin, M. R. Gartia, X. Liu, G. L. Liu, "Bifunctional Nano Lycurgus Cup Array Plasmonic Sensor for Colorimetric Sensing and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy," Advanced Optical Materials, 2015
• L. Plucinski, M. R. Gartia, W. R. Arnold, A. Ameen, T.-W. Chang, A. Hsiao, G. L. Liu, A. Das，“Substrate binding to cytochrome P450-2J2 in Nanodiscs detected by nanoplasmonic Lycurgus cup arrays," Biosensors and Bioelectronics 75, 337-346, 2015
• S. Seo, L. Edwards, G. L. Liu，“Absorbance Amplification Using Chromophore-Nanoplasmon Coupling for Ultrasensitive Protein Quantification，” Analytical Chemistry 87, 9710-9714，2015
• S. Seo, A. Ameen, G. L. Liu，“Colorimetric Effect of Gold Nanocup Arrays on Fluorescence Amplification，” Journal of Physical Chemistry C . 119, 18518–18526，2015
• A. Ameen, M. R. Gartia, A. Hsiao, T.-W.Chang, Z. Xu, G. L. Liu，“Ultra-Sensitive Colorimetric Plasmonic Sensing and Microfluidics for Biofluid Diagnostics Using Nanohole Array，” Journal of Nanomaterials， 2015
• D. Zhang, J. Jiang, J. Chen, Q. Zhang, Y. Lu, Y. Yao, S. Li, G. L. Liu, Q. Liu，“Smartphone-based portable biosensing system using impedance measurement with printed electrodes for 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) detection，” Biosensors and Bioelectronics 70，2015
• X. Wang, M. R. Gartia*, J. Jiang*, T. W. Chang*, J. Qian, Y. Liu, X. Liu, G. L. Liu, "Audio jack based miniaturized mobile phone electrochemical sensing platform," Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 209, 677–685, 2015
• Z. Xu, K. Han, I. Khan, X. Wang, G. L. Liu, "Liquid refractive index sensing independent of opacity using an optofluidic sensor based on diffraction," Optics Letters 39(20), pp. 6082-6085, 2014
• D. Zhang, Y. Lu, J. Jiang, Q. Zhang, Y. Yao, P. Wang, B. Chen, Q. Cheng, G. L. Liu and Q. Liu, "Nanoplasmonic biosensor: Coupling electrochemistry to localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy on nanocup arrays," Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2014
• M. R. Gartia, S. Seo, J. Kim, T. W. Chang, G. Bahl, M. Lu, G. L. Liu and J. G. Eden, "Injection- Seeded Optoplasmonic Amplifier in the Visible," Scientific Reports 4, 6168, 2014
• S. Seo, M. R. Gartia, G. L. Liu, "Vertically stacked plasmonic nanoparticles in a circular arrangement: a key to colorimetric refractive index sensing," Nanoscale 6. 11795, 2014
• T.-W. Chang, S. Seo, H. Jin, X. Wang and G. L. Liu, "Comparison of Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy on Absorbing and Nonabsorbing Nanostructured Substrates," Journal of Physical Chemistry C 118 (32), pp 18693–18699, 2014
• H. Jin, T.-W. Chang and G. L. Liu, "Rapid redox based transformation of metallic nanoparticles on photocatalytic silicon nanostructures," Applied Physics Letters 104, 243116, 2014
• Z. Xu, Y. Yao, E. P. Brueckner, L. Li, J. Jiang, R. G. Nuzzo, G. L. Liu, "Black silicon solar thin-film microcells integrating top nanocone structures for broadband and omnidirectional light-trapping," Nanotechnology 25,305301, 2014
• T.-W. Chang, M. R. Gartia, S. Seo, A. Hsiao and G. L. Liu, “A wafer-scale backplane-assisted resonating nanoantenna array SERS device created by tunable thermal dewetting nanofabrication,” Nanotechnology 25, 145304, 2014
• J. Jiang*, X. Wang*, R. Chao, Y. Ren, C. Hu, Z. Xu and G. L. Liu, “Smartphone based Portable Bacteria Pre-Concentrating microfluidic Sensor and Impedance Sensing System,” Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical., 2014
• Z. Xu, X. Wang, K. Han, S. Li, and G. L. Liu, “Elastomeric 2D grating and hemispherical optofluidic chamber for multifunctional fluidic sensing,” J. Opt. Soc. A. 30, 2013
• G. Kulsharova, M. Lee, F. Cheng, M. Haque, H. Choi, K. Kim, W. D. O'Brien, Jr., and G. L. Liu, "In vitro and in vivo imaging of peptide-encapsulated polymer nanoparticles for cancer biomarker activated drug delivery," IEEE Transactions on Nanobioscience, 2014
• B. Kwon, J. Jiang, M. V. Schulmerich, Z. Xu, R. Bhargava, G. L. Liu, W. P. King, “Bimaterial microcantilevers with black silicon nanocone arrays,” Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 199, 143–148, 2013
• M. R. Gartia, A. Hsiao, A. Pokhriyal, S. Seo, G. Kulsharova, B. T. Cunningham, T. C. Bond and G. L. Liu, "Colorimetric Plasmon Resonance Imaging Using Nano Lycurgus Cup Arrays," Advanced Optical Materials 1, 2013 (Cover Article)
• M.R. Gartia, B. Braunschweig, T.W. Chang, P. Moinzadeh, B.S. Minsker, G. Agha, A. Wieckowski, L. L. Keefer, and G. L. Liu, "Micro Electronic Wireless Nitrate Sensor Network for Environmental Water Monitoring," Journal of Environmental Monitoring 14, 2012 (Cover Article)
• Z. Xu , J. Jiang , M. R. Gartia , and G. L. Liu, "Monolithic Integrations of Slanted Silicon Nanostructures on 3D Microstructures and Their Application to Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy," Journal of Physical Chemistry C 116, 2012 DOI: 10.1021/jp308162c
• Y. Chen, E. R. Cruz-Chu, J. C. Woodard, M. R. Gartia, K. Schulten, and G. L. Liu, "Electrically Induced Conformational Change of Peptides on Metallic Nanosurfaces," ACS Nano 2012 doi: 10.1021/nn3027408
• M. R. Gartia, J. P. Eichorst, R. M. Clegg and G. L. Liu, "Lifetime Imaging of Radiative and Non-Radiative Fluorescence Decays on Nanoplasmonic Surface," Applied Physics Letters 101, 2012 doi: 10.1063/1.4736575
• A. Hsiao, Y. Komaki, S. M. Imaad, B. J. Marinas, M. J. Plewa and G. L. Liu, "Cytotoxicity Analysis of Water Disinfection Byproducts with Micro-pillar Microfluidic Device," Lab on a Chip 12, 2012 doi: 10.1039/C2LC40374A
• M. R. Gartia, M. Lu and G. L. Liu, "Surface Plasmon Coupled Whispering Gallery Mode for Guided and Free-Space Electromagnetic Waves," Plasmonics, 2012 doi: 10.1007/s11468-012-9398-5
• Z. Xu, J. Jiang and G. L. Liu, "Lithography-free sub-100nm nanocone array antireflection layer for low-cost silicon solar cell," Applied Optics 51, 2012
• B. J. Roxworthy, K. D. Ko, A. K., K. H. Fung, E. K. C. Chow, G. L. Liu, N. X. Fang, and K. C. Toussaint, Jr., "Application of Plasmonic Bowtie Nanoantenna Arrays for Optical Trapping, Stacking, and Sorting," Nano Lett. 12, 2012 doi:10.1021/nl203811q
• H. Jin, and G. L. Liu, "Fabrication and Optical Characterization of Light Trapping Silicon Nanopore and Nanoscrew Devices," Nanotechnology 23, 125202, 2012 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/23/12/125202
• H. Xing , Z. Wang , Z. Xu , N. Y. Wong , Y. Xiang , G. L. Liu and Y. Lu, "DNA-Directed Assembly of Asymmetric Nanoclusters Using Janus Nanoparticles", ACS Nano 2011; doi:10.1021/nn2042797
• Z. Xu, H.-Y. Wu, S. U. Ali, J. Jiang, B. T Cunningham and G. L. Liu, "Nanoreplicated positive and inverted sub-micron polymer pyramids array for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)", Journal of Nanophotonics 5, 053526, 2011 doi:10.1117/1.3663259
• M. R. Gartia, Y. Chen and G. L. Liu, "Photoluminescence and Cathodoluminescence from Nanostructured Silicon Surface", Applied Physics Letters 99, 151902, 2011 doi:10.1063/1.3648108
• Y. Chen, Z. Xu, M. R. Gartia, D. Whitlock, Y. Lian and G. L. Liu, "Ultrahigh Throughput Silicon Nanomanufacturing by Simultaneous Reactive Ion Synthesis and Etching" ACS Nano 2011 DOI: 10.1021/nn2024754
• J. Luecha*, A. Hsiao*, S. Brodsky, G. L. Liu and Jozef L. Kokini, "Green microfluidic devices made of corn proteins," Lab on a Chip, Aug 2011 (Inside Cover Article)
• M. R. Gartia, A. Hsiao, M. Sivaguru, Y. Chen, G. L. Liu, "Enhanced 3D Fluorescence Live Cell Imaging on Nanoplasmonic Substrate, Nanotechnology," Nanotechnology, 22 2011 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/22/36/365203
• Z. Xu, Y. Chen, M. R. Gartia, J. Jiang, G. L. Liu, "Surface Plasmon Enhanced Broadband Spectrophotometry on Black Silver Substrates," Applied Physics Letter, 2011 DOI: 10.1063/1.3599551
• J.-P. Coppe, Z. Xu, Y. Chen, G. L. Liu, "Metallic nanocone array photonic substrate for high-uniformity surface deposition and optical detection of small molecules," Nanotechnology, 2011 DOI:10.1088/0957-4484/22/24/245710
• Z. Xu, M. R. Gartia, Y. Chen, J. Jiang, and G. L. Liu, "Quick detection of contaminants leaching from centrifuge tube with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and UV absorption spectroscopy," J. Raman Spec., 2011 DOI: 10.1002/jrs.2950/pdf
• S. Imaad, N. Lord, G. Kulsharova, G. L. Liu, "Microparticle and Cell Counting with Digital Microfluidic Compact Disc using Standard CD Drive," Lab on Chip 11, 1448-1456 (2011) (Back Cover Article)
• K. D. Ko, A. Kumar, K. H. Fung, R. Ambekar, G. L. Liu, N. X. Fang, K. C. Toussaint Jr. "Nonlinear Optical Response from Arrays of Au Bowtie Nanoantennas," Nano Lett. 2011 11 (1), pp 61-65. DOI: 10.1021/nl102751m
• M. R. Gartia, T. C. Bond, and G. L. Liu, "Metal-Molecule Schottky junction effects in surface enhanced Raman scattering," J. Phys. Chem. A, 115, 318–328 (2011) (Cover Article)
• G. L. Liu, "Nanoplasmonic-Particle-Enhanced Optical Molecular Sensing", IEEE J. of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 16, 662-671 (2010)
• M. R Gartia, Z. Xu, E. Behymer, H. Nguyen, J. A. Britten, C. Larson, R. Miles, M. Bora, A. S.-P. Chang, T. C. Bond and G. L. Liu, "Rigorous surface enhanced Raman spectral characterization of large-area high-uniformity silver-coated tapered silica nanopillar arrays," Nanotechnology 21, 395701 (2010)
• C. J. Choi, Z. Xu, H.-Y. Wu, G. L. Liu and B. T. Cunningham, "Surface-enhanced Raman nanodomes," Nanotechnology 21, 415301 (2010)
• H. Cho, B. Lee, G. L. Liu, A. Agarwal and L. P. Lee, "Label-free and highly sensitive biomolecular detection using SERS and electrokinetic preconcentration", Lab Chip 9, 3360-3363 (2009)
• L. S. Bouchard, M. S. Anwar, G. L. Liu, B. Hann, Z. H. Xie, J. W. Gray, X. Wang, A. Pines and F. F. Chen, "Picomolar sensitivity MRI and photoacoustic imaging of cobalt nanoparticles", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106, 4085-4089 (2009).
• E.S. Lee, G.L. Liu, F. Kim and L.P. Lee, "Remote optical switch for localized control of gene interference" Nano Letters 9, 562-570 (2009)

Honors

• Fellow (2015)
• X Prize Foundation Nokia Sensing XChallenge Distinguished Award (2013)
• Vodafone Wireless Innovation Award (2013)
• Beckman Faculty Fellowship (2013)
• Outstanding Advisor (2012)
• Finalist, Vodafone Wireless Innovator (2012)
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) (2011)
• Finalist, Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award (2010)

Courses Taught

• BIOE 497 - Individual Study
• ECE 110 - Introduction to Electronics
• ECE 485 - MEMS Devices & Systems
• ME 485 - MEMS Devices & Systems