Quiet Leadership in Asthma Care

On cooler days, Children’s Hospital Colorado pediatric asthma specialist Andrew Liu, MD, puts on his legacy jacket — emblazoned with the words “40 years of service” — as he heads to the hospital.  

“When you’re in it as long as I’ve been, you get this jacket,” Liu says. “I’m in the legacy club. They’re asking, ‘what are you still doing here?’” 

In 1985, Dr. Liu arrived at Children’s Colorado’s then downtown Denver campus as a pediatric intern. Originally from the Boston area, Dr. Liu was eager to learn about the general specialty of pediatrics. As an intern, Dr. Liu spent most of his time in the intensive care unit (ICU).

“You’re really humbled about what you don’t know,” he says. “You’re just trying to learn to be a half decent nurse.” 

Both then and now, severe asthma exacerbations make up the majority of emergency room and ICU visits. He quickly realized how the system was falling short. At the time, asthma was believed to be a chronic debilitating condition. It often meant that children with asthma were very activity restricted. Dr. Liu wanted to change that. 

In the decades since, Dr. Liu contributed widely to the field. He’s published over 150 papers and trained hundreds of doctors, cementing a legacy rooted in service and mentorship.  

“For the most part in medicine, we come in learning. We are students. That’s just what we do. It’s how we grow up in medicine,” he says. 

His teaching style is a unique blend of his mentors’, insights he’s gained along the way and a quiet humility. That humility stems from a profound lesson Dr. Liu learned early in his career. It shapes everything from the way he practices to the way he teaches.  

Jay Markson, MD, who stood tall with a 6-foot 4-inch frame and a deep bellowing voice, taught Dr. Liu something unexpected: how to be small. During patient visits, Dr. Markson would sit quietly in the corner of the room on a child-sized chair. He called it the art of pediatrics. 

“You’re trying to see how the kids are with the caregivers, their parents ... really see how they’re feeling. Give them a chance to hear them — they often have the best answers,” Dr. Liu says. 

This philosophy also applies to his mentorship style.  

“The junior and mid-level faculty are terrific,” Dr. Liu says. “I’m trying to be small in the room in a way. I want to give them a chance to be recognized and realize their greatness in this.” 

Improving severe asthma treatment 

Dr. Liu’s mentorship, research prowess and clinical expertise have culminated in a project led by his mentees. Severe Pediatric Asthma Research Collaborative (SPARC) is led by junior and mid-level clinical and translational investigators.  

“We are front and center to the perpetual crisis and we’re ideally positioned to be the solution,” Dr. Liu says. “Our researchers are poised to make immediate clinical improvements to change and transform how we treat severe asthma in kids.” 

Children’s Colorado treats approximately 60% of the children in the Denver metro area who are hospitalized due to asthma. SPARC is investigating risk factors for pediatric asthma, environmental triggers of severe exacerbations, strategies to improve recovery, the impact of bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) and short-term outcomes following acute care.  

To the group of mentees leading SPARC, this opportunity reflects more than just cutting-edge science. It’s a testament to Dr. Liu’s mentorship. They describe him as a thoughtful leader, intelligent, caring, supportive, and most importantly, humble.  

“Dr. Liu is the mentor who taught me how to be a mentor,” says SPARC researcher Kate Hamlington-Smith, PhD. “His catch phrase is consistently ‘How can I help?’” 

According to SPARC researcher and pediatric pulmonary fellow, Alizay Paracha, MD, “He is collaborative, curious, kind, and passionate to push the needle in better understanding asthma in children.” 

In his 40 years at Children's Colorado, Dr. Liu has never sought the spotlight. True to himself, he hopes his influence is not felt through recognition, but through the progress of those he's guided.

"Maybe they won't think about it," Dr. Liu says. "If I'm small in the room — if I’m successful — they won’t think about it. They’ll just keep pushing forward.”