Dr. Liang’s primary areas of research are risk assessment of waterborne pathogens, the environmental determinants of infectious disease, and environment-orientated interventions. Specifically, he studies schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease transmitted to humans via water. Much of Dr. Liang’s work also focuses on mathematical modeling and the epidemiology of infectious diseases; the public health applications of Geographical Information Systems (GISs); and international environmental health issues.

Recent Publications:

· Fang, L.Q., de Vlas, S.J., Feng, D., Liang, S., Xu, Y.F., Zhou J.P., Richardus, J.H., Cao, W.C. Geographical spread of SARS in mainland China. Tropical Medicine & International Health. 14( Suppl., I):2009. 1-7.

· Fang, L.Q., Zhao, W.J., de Vlas, S.J., Zhang, W.Y., Liang, S., Looman, C.W.N., Yan, L., Wang, L.P., Ma, J.Q., Feng D., Yang H., Cao, W.C. Spatiotemporal dynamics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Beijing, a newly-established endemic region. Emerging Infectious Disease. 15(12):2009. 2043-5.

· Liu, Y.X., Feng, D., Suo, J.J., Xin, Y.B., Liu, G., Xiao, H.J., Jia N., Gao Y., Yang, H., Zuo, S.Q., Zhang, P.H., Zhao, Z.T., Liang, S. Clinical characteristics of the autumn-winter type scrub typhus cases in south of Shandong Province, Northern China. BMC Infectious Disease. 9:2009. 82

· Eisenberg, J., Desai, M., Levy, K., Bates, S, Liang, S., Naumoff, K., Scott, J. (2007). Environmental determinants of infectious disease: A framework for tracking causal links and guiding public health research. Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(8): 1216-1223

· Liang, S., Seto, E., Remais, J., Zhong, B., Yang, C., Hubbard, A., Davis, G., Gu, X., Qiu, D., Spear, R.C. (2007) Environmental effects on parasitic disease transmission exemplified by schistosomiasis in Western China. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 104 (17):7110-7115

· Liang, S., Spear, R.C. (2007). Model-based insights into multi-host transmission and control of schistosomiasis. PLoS Medicine (in press)

· Remais, J., Liang, S., Spear, R.C. (2007). Coupling hydrologic and infectious disease modeling to explore regional differences in schistosomiasis transmission in southwestern China. Environmental Science & Technology (in press)

· Seto, E., Lee, E., Liang, S., Zhong, B. (2007). Individual and village-level study of water contact exposure patterns and Schistosoma japonicum infection in mountainous rural China. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 12(10): 1199-1209