Management Team
Richard Liu, MD, MSc
General Director & CEO
Dr. Liu obtained his MD and MSc degrees in China, where he completed fellowship training in gastroenterology. He subsequently practiced as a hepato-gastroenterologist and internist. In 1999, Dr. Liu joined the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, as a clinical and biomedical research scientist. His research encompassed liver and kidney failure and organ support, artificial organs, stem cells, and tissue engineering. Drawing on extensive experience in both clinical and basic medical research, he has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications in clinical medicine and biomedical research journals. His experience as both a clinician and researcher has given him a strong understanding of research methodology, scientific writing, data interpretation, peer review, and the standards required for credible medical publication.
While at McGill University, Dr. Liu also contributed to the editorial work of Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, a university-based biomedical journal indexed in the Science Citation Index. Serving as an editorial managing assistant, he gained valuable experience in scientific journal management and the editorial publishing process. This role provided him with a solid foundation in scientific journal administration and a thorough understanding of the responsibilities involved in publishing reliable and influential biomedical research.
Since 2012, Dr. Liu has served as General Director and CEO of Elmer Press. In this role, he oversees the company’s publishing operations, supervises daily activities, and ensures the quality and integrity of its journals. He works closely with Editors-in-Chief, editorial board members, editors, and publishing staff to develop editorial policies and publishing guidelines, strengthen editorial procedures, and support the efficient and consistent production of high-quality medical journals. He supervises daily publishing activities, monitors editorial and production quality, and works to ensure that the company’s journals operate efficiently, consistently, and in accordance with recognized standards of medical publishing.
Dr. Liu’s combined background in clinical practice, biomedical research, and scientific publishing gives him a broad and informed perspective on medical research and publishing. His experience enables him to understand the needs of researchers, clinicians, editors, and readers while guiding the publication of rigorous, ethical, and high-quality medical journals.
Licun Wu, MD, MSc
Editorial Director
Dr. Licun Wu (Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network (UHN), U of Toronto) is a biomedical scientist whose research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying thoracic malignancies, with particular emphasis on malignant mesothelioma, therapeutic resistance, and tumor cell plasticity. With extensive training in cancer molecular biology and histopathology, Dr. Wu integrates concepts from cancer biology, immunopathology, and biomarker discovery to investigate how tumor–stroma interactions and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs drive aggressive tumor behavior.
Over the past decade, Dr. Wu has made significant contributions to the understanding of mesothelioma biology. His recent work introduced the concept of cross-lineage mesenchymal transition (XMT), a unifying framework that provides new insights into lineage plasticity, tumor evolution, and immune evasion in mesothelioma. This model has advanced understanding of how cancer cells dynamically adapt to microenvironmental pressures and has revealed potential therapeutic vulnerabilities that may be exploited for precision medicine.
Dr. Wu has authored numerous publications in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Science Translational Medicine, Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, Oncogene, The Lancet Oncology, JAMA Oncology, BMC Cancer, The Journal of Immunology, Scientific Reports, Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, and Lung Cancer. His research is distinguished by its mechanistic rigor and translational relevance, bridging fundamental discoveries with clinically meaningful applications. Dr. Wu's current h-index is 30.
Dr. Wu is also an active peer reviewer and associate editor for several international journals and collaborates extensively across disciplines to accelerate the translation of laboratory discoveries into improved patient outcomes.
Dr. Wu’s long-term research vision is to elucidate the complex interplay among cancer-associated fibroblasts, EMT-associated plasticity, and immune suppression within the tumor microenvironment. Through these efforts, he aims to identify novel therapeutic targets and inform the development of more effective combination strategies for mesothelioma and related malignancies. His work continues to contribute to the evolving landscape of precision oncology and translational cancer research.
Dr. Wu possesses a distinguished research portfolio, a sustained record of high-impact publications, and extensive experience in scholarly publishing through his roles as a peer reviewer and associate editor. These accomplishments have equipped him with exceptional scientific judgment, editorial expertise, and a comprehensive understanding of the academic publishing landscape. His interdisciplinary research spans multiple areas of biomedical science, enabling rigorous and balanced evaluation of diverse and complex manuscripts. Coupled with his extensive involvement in the peer-review process and editorial decision-making, Dr. Wu is well positioned to uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity, foster constructive collaboration among editors and reviewers, and oversee transparent, fair, and efficient editorial workflows. His leadership, strategic vision, and commitment to excellence make him exceptionally qualified to serve as Editorial Director.