Liping Feng, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Reproductive Sciences in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke University Medical Center.

Dr. Feng's research is focused on applying comprehensive molecular and genetic in vitro and in vivo approaches to study the pathogenesis of placenta-associated pregnancy complications and fetal brain and reproductive development.

One line of her research is to investigate the impacts of perinatal environmental exposures on birth outcomes. Specifically, Dr. Feng’s lab investigates the implications and underlying mechanisms of perinatal exposure to PFAS or extreme heat on pregnancy complications, endocrine disruption, fetal brain, and female ovary development, and immune functions in early life. Her research has focused on understanding these impacts by studying placental development and functions and the placenta-fetal brain axis.

Another line of her research is to understand the effects of dysregulated placental signaling on pregnancy outcomes and the health of offspring using genetically modified mice, placental cellular models, and placental imaging. 

Feng Lab Website

• Liu, Yongjie, Guoqi Yu, Ruiyuan Zhang, Liping Feng, and Jun Zhang. “Early life exposure to low-dose perfluorooctane sulfonate disturbs gut barrier homeostasis and increases the risk of intestinal inflammation in offspring.” Environ Pollut 329 (July 15, 2023): 121708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121708.

• Li, Shuman, Bin Liu, Yongjie Liu, Yu-Qiang Ding, Jun Zhang, and Liping Feng. “Effects of maternal urban particulate matter SRM 1648a exposure on birth outcomes and offspring growth in mice.” Environ Geochem Health 45, no. 5 (May 2023): 2387–2400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01352-3.

• Liu, Bin, Yongjie Liu, Shuman Li, Pingping Chen, Jun Zhang, and Liping Feng. “BDNF promotes mouse follicular development and reverses ovarian aging by promoting cell proliferation.” J Ovarian Res 16, no. 1 (April 27, 2023): 83. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-023-01163-9.

• Crute, Christine E., Chelsea D. Landon, Angela Garner, Samantha M. Hall, Jeffery I. Everitt, Sharon Zhang, Bevin Blake, et al. “Maternal exposure to perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) during pregnancy: evidence of adverse maternal and fetoplacental effects in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits.” Toxicol Sci 191, no. 2 (February 17, 2023): 239–52. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfac126.

• Liu, Yongjie, Jun Zhang, and Liping Feng. “Disrupted metabolic signatures in amniotic fluid associated with increased risk of intestinal inflammation in cesarean section offspring.” Front Immunol 14 (2023): 1067602. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1067602.

• Crute, Christine E., Samantha M. Hall, Chelsea D. Landon, Angela Garner, Jeffrey I. Everitt, Sharon Zhang, Bevin Blake, et al. “Evaluating maternal exposure to an environmental per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) mixture during pregnancy: Adverse maternal and fetoplacental effects in a New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit model.” Sci Total Environ 838, no. Pt 4 (September 10, 2022): 156499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156499.

• Zhang, Yang, Pengfei Liang, Liheng Yang, Ke Zoe Shan, Liping Feng, Yong Chen, Wolfgang Liedtke, Carolyn B. Coyne, and Huanghe Yang. “Functional coupling between TRPV4 channel and TMEM16F modulates human trophoblast fusion.” Elife 11 (June 7, 2022). https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.78840.

• Li, Shuman, Yongjie Liu, Bin Liu, Yun-Qing Hu, Yu-Qiang Ding, Jun Zhang, and Liping Feng. “Maternal urban particulate matter exposure and signaling pathways in fetal brains and neurobehavioral development in offspring.” Toxicology 474 (May 30, 2022): 153225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tox.2022.153225.

• Liu, Yongjie, Weifeng Tang, Junjie Ao, Jun Zhang, and Liping Feng. “Transcriptomics integrated with metabolomics reveals the effect of Bisphenol F (BPF) exposure on intestinal inflammation.” Sci Total Environ 816 (April 10, 2022): 151644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151644.

• Zhang, Jinwen, Shiwen Jing, Huijuan Zhang, Jun Zhang, Hehui Xie, and Liping Feng. “Low-dose aspirin prevents LPS-induced preeclampsia-like phenotype via AQP-1 and the MAPK/ERK 1/2 pathway.” Placenta 121 (April 2022): 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2022.03.007.

CRP267, Duke Molecular Biology Techniques Workshop

AMES 270T-5, Duke Asian-Pacific Studies

GLHLTH 395-05, Global Health

GLHLTH 795-05, Global Health

BIOLOGY 293

NEUROSCI 490.09

PATHOL 293.09

2012, December 11. DGHI Awards Grants for International Travel.

2014, February 25. Duke Global Health Institute News: Stimulating Global Health Research with DGHI Pilot Funds.  

2017, February 14. DGHI Awards Pilot Grants for Global Environmental Health Projects.  

2018, May 15. Mimicking the human placental barrier: Duke Med Alumni News: The Placenta Model.

2019, July 16. DGHI. Four Lessons from a Novice Field Researcher.

2020, February. NIEHS Environmental Factor, Science Highlights. Replacement chemicals may put pregnancies at risk.

2022, Global concerns for maternal health come close to home: Liping Feng’s preeclampsia research connects with local PFAS contamination.

• Duke Today and Duke School of Medicine Highlights (July 27 and August 10, 2022).
   
• Duke Global Health Institute Newsletter and Duke Ob/Gyn Magazine (August and February 2022).