My group's major research interests lie in development and application of statistical and computational methods for analysis of analysis of high-throughput genetic and genomic data in epidemiological, environmental and clinical studies, analysis of complex exposure and phenotype data in observational studies, and statistical learning and inference for massive data. Our ongoing methodological research in statistical genetics and genomics includes rare variants in Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) association studies, integrative analysis of different types of data, high-dimensional environmental and phenotype data, gene-environment interactions, Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), genome-wide DNA methylation studies, pathway and network analysis. Our specific statistical research areas include, statistical inference for massive data, causal inference and mediation analysis, mixed models, longitudinal data analysis, nonparametric and semiparametric regression, and missing data. Our methodological work was previously supported by the MERIT award award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) (R37, 2007-2015), and is currently supported by the Outstanding Investigator Award (R35), and the P01 grant both from National Cancer Institute, the Harvard Analysis Center of the Genome Sequencing Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).

Statistical Areas of Interest

• Statistical genetics and genomics
• Pathway and network analysis
• Integrative Analusis
• Statistical Machine Learning and Inference for massive data
• Correlated data (clustered/longitudinal and spatial data)
• Case-control and cohort data
• Nonparametric and semiparametric regression
• Estimating equations and mixed models
• Causal inference and mediation analysis
• Estimating equations and mixed models
• Measurement error

Subject Areas of Interest:

• Genetic epidemiology and environmental genetics and genomics
• Epigenetics
• Genes and Environment
• Lung cancer and lung diseases
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Sleep apnea
• Epidemiology, Environmental Health and Population Sciences

• Principal Investigator (2015-2029), R35 (Outstanding Investigator Award), Statistical Methods for Analysis of Massive Genetic and Genomic Data in Cancer Research .
• Principal Investigator (2022-2026), R01, NHLBI Statistical Methods for Integrative Analysis of Large-Scale Multi-Ethnic Whole Genome Sequencing Studies and Biobanks of Common Diseases.
• Principal Investigator (2021-2026), U01, NHGRI Predictive Modeling of the Functional and Phenotypic Impacts of Genetic Variants.
• Principal Investigator (2020-2025), T32, NIGMS, Interdisciplinary training: Statistical Genetics/Genomics and Computational Biology.

• Contact Principal Investigator (2008-2018), PO1, NCI, Statistical Informatics in Cancer Research.
• Contact Principal Investigator (2016-2020), U01, NHGRI, Harvard Analysis Center of the Genome Sequencing Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) "Powering whole genome sequence-based genetic discovery for common human diseases."
• Principal Investigator (2009-2014), T32, NIGMS, Joint Interdisciplinary Training in Biostatistics and Computational Biology.
• Principal Investigator (2007-2015), R37 (MERIT Award), NCI, Statistical Methods for Correlated and High-Dimensional Biomedical Data.
• Principal Investigator (2002-2007), R01, NCI, Statistical Methods for Correlated Biomedical Data.
• Principal Investigator (1997-2002), R29 (FIRST Award), NCI, New Mixed Effects Models for Correlated Biomedical Data.
• Principal Investigator (2001-2008)/co-PI (2008-2013), R13, NCI, Workshop for Junior Biostatisticians in Cancer Research.
• Principal Investigator (2006-2016), R13, NCI, Conferences on Emerging Statistical Issues in Biomedical Research.