Shan-Lu Liu earns Ohio State’s top faculty honor for 2026

Shan-Lu Liu, MD, PhD, a virologist and professor in The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named a 2026 Distinguished University Professor, the university’s highest faculty honor. Ohio State announced the recognition on April 20, 2026, citing Liu’s work on virus-host interactions, innate antiviral immunity, and viral pathogenesis, with research spanning HIV, Ebola, Zika, and SARS-CoV-2. The university said his findings helped inform U.S. Food and Drug Administration decisions on COVID-19 vaccine formulations. Liu joined Ohio State in 2016, is associate director of the Center for Retrovirus Research, co-leads the Viruses and Emerging Pathogens Program, and currently serves as president of the American Society for Virology. (vet.osu.edu)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the honor underscores how veterinary colleges continue to shape high-impact biomedical research well beyond companion animal and livestock care. Liu’s program sits at the intersection of animal health, zoonotic disease, comparative immunology, and public health, reinforcing the role veterinary research plays in pandemic preparedness, vaccine science, and cross-species infectious disease surveillance. His recognition also highlights Ohio State’s veterinary biosciences bench as a source of influence in national and global virology. (vet.osu.edu)

What to watch: Expect Ohio State to further elevate Liu’s lab and affiliated infectious disease programs as it builds on this recognition in research funding, collaborations, and emerging pathogen work. (vet.osu.edu)