结合结构生物学和细胞生物学方法研究细胞信号转导蛋白的结构与功能。目前聚焦在味觉受体以及与重大疾病相关的孤儿受体的研究。包括其分子结构，信号转导复合物结构与功能，以及药物设计等。

2022年：首次揭示人源苦味受体的配体识别和信号转导分子机制，研究成果发表在《Science》；

2020年：趋化因子受体CXCR2与内源性配体白细胞介素8（IL8）和下游G蛋白复合物的结构与功能研究成果发表在《Nature》；

2020年：人源大麻素受体 CB2及CB2分别与激动剂及下游信号G蛋白复合物的冷冻电镜结构与功能研究成果于《Cell》；

2019年：人源大麻素受体 CB2与拮抗剂复合物的结构与功能研究发表于《Cell》；

2017年：人源大麻素受体 CB1分别与激动剂AM841及AM1542复合物的结构与功能研究发表在《Nature》；

2016年：人源大麻素受体 CB1与拮抗剂AM6538复合物的结构与功能研究发表在《Cell》上，入选《Cell》十佳论文和上海市十大科技事件。

1. Yuxia Wang; Lijie Wu; Tian Wang; Junlin Liu; Fei Li; Longquan Jiang; Zhongbo Fan; Yanan Yu; Na Chen; Qianqian Sun; Qiwen Tan; Tian Hua*; Zhi-Jie Liu*(2024). Cryo-EM structure of cannabinoid receptor CB1-β- arrestin complex. Protein & Cell. 15(3): 230–234.

2. Li, Xiaoting; Chang, Hao; Bouma, Jara; de Paus, Laura V.; Mukhopadhyay, Partha; Paloczi, Janos; Mustafa, Mohammed; van der Horst, Cas; Kumar, Sanjay Sunil; Wu, Lijie; Yu, Yanan; van den Berg, Richard J. B. H. N.; Janssen, Antonius P. A.; Lichtman, Aron; Liu, Zhi-Jie*; Pacher, Pal*; van der Stelt, Mario*; Heitman, Laura H.*; Hua, Tian*(2023). Structural basis of selective cannabinoid CB2 receptor activation. Nature Communications. 14(1).

3. Li, Hao; Zhang, Jinyi; Yu, Yanan; Luo, Feng; Wu, Lijie; Liu, Junlin; Chen, Na; Liu, Zhijie*; Hua, Tian*(2023). Structural insight into the constitutive activity of human orphan receptor GPR12.  Science Bulletin. 68(1):95-104.

4. Weixiu Xu, Lijie Wu, Shenhui Liu, Xiao Liu, Xiaoling Cao, Cui Zhou, Jinyi Zhang, You Fu, Yu Guo, Yiran Wu, Qiwen Tan, Ling Wang, Junlin Liu, Longquan Jiang, Zhongbo Fan, Yuan Pei, Jingyi Yu, Jianjun Cheng, Suwen Zhao, Xiaojiang Hao, Zhi-Jie Liu* and Tian Hua*(2022) Structural basis for strychnine activation of human bitter taste receptor TAS2R46. Science, 377, 1298–1303.

5. Jingjing Wang, Meng Wu, Zhangcheng Chen, Lijie Wu, Tian Wang, Dongmei Cao, Huan Wang, Shenhui Liu, Yueming Xu, Fei Li, Junlin Liu, Na Chen, Suwen Zhao, Jianjun Cheng*, Sheng* Wang & Tian Hua* (2022) The unconventional activation of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M4R by diverse ligands. Nature Communications, May 23;13(1):2855.

6. Yali Zhou, Henrik Daver, Boris Trapkov, Lijie Wu, Meng Wu, Kasper Harpsøe, Patrick R Gentry, Kaiwen Liu, Marina Larionova, Junlin Liu, Na Chen, Hans Bräuner-Osborne*, David E Gloriam*, Tian Hua* and Zhi-Jie Liu* (2022) Molecular insights into ligand recognition and G protein coupling of the neuromodulatory orphan receptor GPR139. Cell Research. 32(2): 210-213.

7. Xiaoyan Wang, Dongsheng Liu, Ling Shen, Fahui Li, Yongze Li, Lingyun Yang, Tiandan Xu, Houchao Tao, Deqiang Yao, Lijie Wu, Kunio Hirata, Laura M. Bohn, Alexandros Makriyannis, Xiaohong Liu, Tian Hua,* Zhi-Jie Liu,* and Jiangyun Wang* (2021) A Genetically Encoded F‑19 NMR Probe Reveals the Allosteric Modulation Mechanism of Cannabinoid Receptor 1. JACS, https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.1c06847.

8. L., Shen, X., Li, J., Liu, K., Liu, Z. Liu* and T. Hua* (2021) Protocol for Crystal Structure Determination of the Antagonist Bound Human Cannabinoid Receptor CB2. STAR Protocols, 2021 Jun 7;2(2):100584.

9. K., Liu, L., Shen, M., Wu, Z. Liu* and T. Hua* (2021) Structural insights into the activation of chemokine receptor CXCR2. FEBS J. 289(2):386-393. doi: 10.1111/febs.15865. 

10. J. Zhang, L. Qu, L., Wu, X., Tang, F. Luo, W., Xu, Y., Xu, Z-J., Liu* and T. Hua* (2020) Structural insights into the activation initiation of full-length mGlu1. Protein & Cell, 12(8): 662-667

11. K., Liu, L., Wu, S., Yuan, M., Wu, Y., Xu, Q., Sun, S., Li, S., Zhao, T., Hua*, Z-J., Liu* (2020) Structure basis of CXC chemokine receptor 2 activation and signaling. Nature, 585 (7823): 135-140.

12. Tian Hua^{# *}, Xiaoting Li^#, Lijie Wu^#, ChristosIliopoulos Tsoutsouvas, Yuxia Wang, Meng Wu, Ling Shen, Christina A.Johnston, Spyros P.Nikas, Feng Song, Xiyong Song, Shuguang Yuan, Qianqian Sun, Yiran Wu, Shan Jiang, Travis W.Grim, Othman Benchama, Edward L.Stahl, Nikolai Zvonok, Suwen Zhao, Laura M.Bohn, Alexandros Makriyannis,  Zhi-Jie Liu^*(2020) Activation and Signaling Mechanism Revealed by Cannabinoid Receptor-G_i Complex Structures. Cell,180(4):655-665.

13. Jingjing Wang^#, Tian Hua^* and Zhi-Jie Liu^*, Structural features of activated GPCR signaling complexes. Current Opinion in Structure Biology, (2020), 63:82-89. 

14. Xiaoting Li, Ling Shen, Tian Hua*and Zhi-Jie Liu*, (2020) Structural and Functional Insights into Cannabinoid Receptors. Trends Pharmacol Sci, 41 (9): 665-677. 

15. Jingjing Wang, Meng Wu, Lijie Wu, Yueming Xu, Fei Li, Yiran Wu, Petre Popov, Lin Wang, Fang Bai, Suwen Zhao, Zhi-Jie Liu, Tian Hua*. (2020) The structural study of mutation induced inactivation of human muscarinic receptor M4. IUCrJ, 7(Pt 2): 294–305. 

16. X. Li^#, T. Hua^#, K. Vemuri, S. J. Ho, Y. Wu, L. Wu, P. Popov, O. Benchama, N. Zvonok, K. Locke, L. Qu, GW. Han, M. Iyer, R. Cinar, N. Coffey, J. Wang, M., Wu, V. Katritch, S. Zhao, G. Kunos, L. Bohn, A. Makriyannis, R Stevens. Liu ZJ* (2019) Crystal Structure of the Human Cannabinoid Receptor CB2. Cell, 176(3), 459-467. 

17. Tian Hua, Kiran Vemuri, Spyros P. Nikas, Robert B. Laprairie, Yiran Wu, Lu Qu, Mengchen Pu, Anisha Korde, Shan Jiang, Jo-Hao Ho, Gye Won Han, Kang Ding, Xuanxuan Li, Haiguang Liu, Michael A. Hanson, Suwen Zhao, Laura M. Bohn*, Alexandros Makriyannis*, Raymond C. Stevens* and Zhi-Jie Liu*. (2017) Crystal structures of agonist-bound human cannabinoid receptor CB₁. Nature, 547(7664):468-471. 

18. T. Hua, K. Vemuri, M. Pu, L. Qu, GW. Han, Y. Wu, S. Zhao, W. Shui, S. Li, A. Korde, R. Laprairie, E. Stahl, J. Ho, N. Zvonok, H. Zhou, I. Kurareva, B. Wu, Q. Zhao, M. Hanson, L. Bohn, A. Makriyannis, R Stevens. ZJ. Liu (2016) Crystal Structure of the Human Cannabinoid Receptor CB1. Cell, 167(3):750-762. (Selected as Best of Cell 2017).

19. Zhao, L.^#, T.Hua ^#, Crowley, C., Ru, H., Ni, X., Shaw, N., Jiao, L., Ding, W., Qu, L., Hung, L., Huang, W., Liu, L., Ye, K., OuYang, S*, Cheng, G*, and Liu, Z. J*, (2014) Structural analysis of asparaginyl endopeptidase reveals the activation mechanism and a reversible intermediate maturation stage, Cell Research, 24(3):344-58. 

20. T. Hua^#, Wu, D., Ding, W., Wang, J., Neil, N*., and Liu, Z. J*, (2012) Studies on human 2, 4 dienoyl CoA reductase (DCR) sheds new light on peroxisomal β-oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids, J Biol Chem, 287(34):28956-65.