Hsiao-Wei Liao, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Dr. Hsiao-Wei Liao received his Ph.D. in Pharmacy from National Taiwan University (2014) and completed a visiting scholarship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2017–2019). His research centers on the development of mass spectrometry-based analytical platforms, with expertise in metabolomics, lipidomics, and mass spectrometry imaging. He is the recipient of the 2026 Young Scholar Award from the Taiwan Society for Mass Spectrometry.

Welcome to the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Analysis — NYCU

Are you fascinated by the chemistry of living systems? Do you want to build tools that reveal what conventional methods cannot see? We are looking for curious, motivated individuals to join our team.

About Our Lab:
We develop and apply cutting-edge mass spectrometry (MS)-based analytical platforms to explore the "dark metabolome"—the vast landscape of biologically important molecules that remain invisible to standard analytical methods. From designing novel derivatization reagents that boost detection sensitivity 40-fold, to mapping the spatial distribution of metabolites inside brain tissue, our work sits at the intersection of analytical chemistry, biology, and medicine.

What We Work On:
Our research spans seven interconnected areas:

• Method development — We engineer new reagents (e.g., BBII, a charged boronic acid probe) and post-column derivatization systems that transform poorly ionizable metabolites into confidently detectable signals, achieving up to 42-fold sensitivity gains in LC-MS and 17-fold in MS imaging.

• Metabolomics & lipidomics — We build multiomics platforms for comprehensive biomolecule profiling, including a novel TRIzol-like reagent that extracts metabolites and lipids simultaneously from a single sample.

• Spatial metabolomics & MS imaging — Using reactive DESI-MSI, we visualize how metabolites like glucose and cholesterol are distributed across tissue sections in real time, opening windows into cancer and brain biology.

• Pharmacomicrobiomics — We study how gut microbiota transforms drugs—and how drugs reshape microbial metabolism—using untargeted MS profiling of bacteria including Helicobacter pylori.

• Food safety & natural product analysis — We apply untargeted LC-HRMS to detect adulterants, veterinary residues, and undisclosed herbal ingredients in commercial food products.

• Single-cell & peptide analysis — In collaboration with Prof. Jonathan Sweedler (UIUC), we resolve D-amino acid-containing neuropeptides at the single-cell level using CE–ion mobility–MS.

• Antimicrobial & biomedical research — We partner with clinical chemists and pharmacologists to profile antimicrobial mechanisms and support nanoparticle-based cancer therapeutics.

What You Will Gain:
Joining our lab means hands-on training in state-of-the-art instrumentation—LC-MS, CE-MS, DESI-MSI, and high-resolution MS—alongside rigorous training in experimental design, data analysis, and scientific writing. You will contribute to projects funded by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and collaborate with leading hospitals, research institutes, and international academic partners.

Our work has been published in top-tier journals including Analytical Chemistry, Analytica Chimica Acta, Talanta, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, and eLife. Our PI was recognized with the 2026 Young Scholar Award from the Taiwan Society for Mass Spectrometry.

Who We Are Looking For:
We welcome applications from graduate students, undergraduate researchers, and postdoctoral fellows who are passionate about analytical science and its impact on human health. No prior MS experience is required—only curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to learn.

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.