Your skin health is our top priority
AHMC Dermatology and
Research Center
The AHMC Dermatology and Research Center is conducting cutting-edge basic and
translational research aimed at the diseases with large unmet needs,
including skin diseases. Current research focuses on the galectin family of animal
lectins. The team is composed of accomplished experts who cherish independent
thinking and value integrity, innovation, and collaboration.
Our research focuses on a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins, called galectins, which come in various flavors and can be found in different locations of skin anatomy: the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The skin is prone to many problems, including infections, cancer, and a myriad of other disorders. Prior research suggests that galectins can impact disease processes by interacting with glycans on the surface of pathogens and host cells, and in damaged organelles. We are interested in exploring these proteins as therapeutic targets to address unmet medical needs.
Meet Our Team
Our expert team provides you with solutions for healthier skin.
Dr. Wen-ta Chiu
Member of the Board of Directors
Former Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of China. CO-CEO of AHMC Healthcare. Neurosurgeon / Professor
Dr. Fu-Tong Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
Member of the Board of Directors
Dr. Liu is a Professor in the Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California. He was Distinguished Professor and Chair of Dermatology at University of California-Davis, and then Distinguished Research Fellow and Director at Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, and Vice President of Academia Sinica. Dr. Liu’s research program is focused on the galectin family of animal lectins. His group contributed to the initial discovery of this family and naming of the family. His group has been investigating the functions of a number of the family members in the immune and inflammatory responses, including skin diseases. Dr. Liu has published extensively and his works have been highly cited.
Dr. Ri-Yao Yang,
Ph.D.
Scientific Director of Basic Research
Dr. Yang uses in vitro and in vivo models to understand galectin functions in the regulation of cell death, activation, and differentiation in immunity and metabolism. Before joining the team, Dr. Yang was an Assistant Professor in Molecular and Cellular Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he led a group of scientists to study cancer immunology, culminating in the identification of galectin-9 as a target for cancer immunotherapy. He later became a Senior Director of Cancer Biology at Ab Therapeutics, leading the development of multi-specific therapeutic antibodies targeting immune checkpoints. Dr. Yang has published highly impactful works on galectins in T cell death, adipocyte differentiation, and cancer immunotherapy. His publications are some of the most frequently cited in the galectin field. Dr. Yang directs basic research activities at the AHMC Dermatology and Research Center. Dr. Yang completed his postdoc training at Scripps Research with Dr. Fu-Tong Liu after receiving a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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