Dr Liang’s research focuses on primary liver cancer, a disease with a five-year survival rate of less than 25 percent in Australia. For Dr Liang, the challenge is not only to better understand the disease, but to develop new treatment approaches that offer patients genuine hope.
A key focus of her research is the tumour microenvironment, the network of non-cancer cells that surrounds and supports cancer growth. These cells can shield tumours from therapy, limiting the effectiveness of existing treatments.
“In primary liver cancer, activated hepatic stellate cells form a supportive ‘soil’ that nurtures the tumour ‘seed’, promoting its survival, growth and resistance to treatment,” Dr Liang explains.
To address this challenge, Dr Liang and her team investigated a new strategy that targets both the tumour and its surrounding environment. By repurposing an existing FDAapproved drug, alpelisib, alongside chemotherapy, the team was able to block the activation of supportive cells and significantly improve treatment
effectiveness in preclinical models.
The approach reduced tumour burden by 68 percent compared with chemotherapy alone and provides strong rationale for future clinical trials.
Dr Liang hopes this work will enhance current treatments, improve survival outcomes and potentially lead to new therapies for other cancers.
Dr Liang’s path to liver cancer research began during her PhD, when she studied how nanoparticles interact with liver tissue and how these properties could improve treatment delivery to diseased organs. Under the mentorship of Professor Darrell Crawford, GMR Director of Research, her work evolved to focus on liver cancer treatment and the complex biology that drives the disease.
Dr Liang’s dedication has gained international recognition. In December 2025, she presented her research at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia Congress in Singapore, receiving the Best Poster award from more than 500 submissions.
Her attendance was proudly supported by a grant from the Thorsen family, who are long-term supporters of our research, after Dr Liang was named GMR’s 2024 Thorsen Researcher of the Year, enabling her to share her findings with global leaders in cancer research and explore future collaborations.
As an early to mid-career researcher, Dr Liang credits mentorship and a supportive research environment with helping her navigate the challenges of balancing family life and scientific work. With support from her colleagues, mentors and family, including her husband, a clinician-scientist in training, Dr Liang continues to advance her research while maintaining a strong focus on more advanced treatments for liver cancer.
At GMR, Dr Liang focuses on research that addresses real clinical needs and improves patient outcomes. This approach drives her work to develop more effective treatments for
liver cancer.
Through the support of donors and partners, researchers like Dr Liang are working to translate discovery and clinical trials into better clinical practice and finally patient outcomes, bringing new hope to people affected by liver cancer and their families.