Hong Liao is the director of the Root Biology Center, at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China. She teaches plant nutrition and conducts research on genetic and molecular mechanisms of legumes in response to nutrient stresses, particularly in response to phosphorus deficiency in roots, including 1) architectural, physiological and molecular basis of the root system with functions as related to nutrient efficiency; 2) genetic breeding for nutrient efficient crops through transgenic and MAS approaches; 3) best nutrient management for crops growing on acidic soils. She received over 30 major research grants and published over 200 articles in international journals.