Howard Liu, MD, MBA, is a nationally recognized psychiatrist, educator, workforce expert, social media innovator, and equity advocate at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). He serves as the Chair of the UNMC Department of Psychiatry, a Professor with Tenure in the UNMC College of Medicine, Chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Communications, Co-chair of the World Psychiatric Association’s Interest Group on Medical Students and as the Past President of the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (ADMSEP).  Previous roles include Nebraska state workforce director for mental health careers, psychiatry clerkship director and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Faculty Development.  He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Nationally and internationally, Dr. Liu has presented over 100 peer-reviewed abstracts and is a frequent invited speaker on mental health, social media, and psychiatric education.

As chair of psychiatry, Dr. Liu was instrumental in the creation of a new UNMC adult psychiatry residency program, the launch of an addiction medicine fellowship, and the creation of Nebraska’s first Adult Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES).  Under his tenure, the psychiatry faculty has increased by nearly 90% over 5 years. 

Dr. Liu is an innovative teacher who is known for the use of technology in medical education.  He co-chaired the Clinical Simulation Initiative; an online library of free, peer-reviewed simulated psychiatric cases for medical students that is widely accessed around the world. He has been recognized for teaching excellence and creativity by the American College of Psychiatrists (ACP), the Association of Academic Psychiatry (AAP), and the Association of Directors of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry (ADMSEP).  

Dr. Liu is an expert on the professional use of social media in healthcare and is a frequent commentator for traditional news media on mental health topics. He chairs the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Communications which amplifies the voice of organized psychiatry throughout the world.