Overview
My research focuses on developing new statistical methods for identifying susceptibility loci involved in complex human disease. It involves a mix of genetics, statistics, and computer science and is motivated by the complexities of real data encountered in collaborative disease-gene mapping projects.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Professor of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
·
2019 - Present
Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Integrative Genomics,
Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Director, Center for Statistical Genetics and Genomics
·
2015 - Present
Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Biostatistics,
Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Chief, Division of Integrative Genomics
·
2018 - Present
Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Biostatistics,
Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
Recent Scholarly Works
Region-Level Design and Analysis of CRISPR Perturbation Screens with FRACTEL
Preprint · July 7, 2026 Abstract We present FRACTEL, a statistical framework for region-level analysis of CRISPR perturbation screens. FRACTEL aggregates gRNA p ... Full text CiteStructured Pooling Improves Detection of Rare Regulatory Mutations in Population-Scale Reporter Assays.
Preprint · March 31, 2026 Identifying genetic variants in noncoding DNA that impact gene expression and thereby contribute to disease risk remains a difficult but important challenge in genomic medicine. Modern reporter assays such as STARR-seq and MPRA provide an efficient and eff ... Full text Link to item CiteIdentifying Inheritance Patterns of Allelic Imbalance, using Integrative Modeling and Bayesian Inference.
Preprint · March 31, 2026 Interpreting the effects of novel mutations on phenotypic traits remains challenging, particularly for cis -regulatory variants. For rare variants, individuals typically possess at most one affected copy of the causal allele, leading to allelic imbalance, ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Training Grant
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2026 - 2031iPediHeart: Interdisciplinary Research Training Program for Pediatric Heart Disease
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030Complement Pathway Activation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and other Progressive Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases (K23)
ResearchAdvisor · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2023 - 2028View All Grants
Education
Emory University ·
2001
Ph.D.