Danqing Liu received her master degree in Electrical Engineering in 2009 at the Delft University in The Netherlands. She joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands for her PhD research. She developed polymer responsive surfaces based on hydrogels and liquid crystal polymers. She received her PhD degree in 2013. In 2019, she was appointed as Assistant professor (Tenured) and has advanced to the position of Associate professor in 2023 at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology.

She set up and led a research group of ‘human interactive materials’  (HIM) focusing on developing advanced materials with the applications towards haptics, soft robotics, healthcare, advanced optics, artificial neuron growth and neural network-like communication. In her research, she addresses the development of new materials for specialized functions in healthcare, man-machine communication, advanced mechanics and responsive (meta-)optics. The smart soft materials, based on self-organization on molecular level, are capable to fill gaps in, and add to present technologies by their ability to adapt shape and surface, to comply to confined and sensible spaces and to provide their functional duty on location.

She has received multi-million-euro research funding from both academic sources—such as the Dutch Research Council and the EU Commission—and industrial partners to support her research.