Faculty Overview

The Division of Biostatistics and its faculty have played an important role in establishing and enriching the field of genetic epidemiology, thus earning a national and international reputation as a research center of excellence. Significant support from the National Institutes of Health for more than twenty years has supported methodological and applied research in genetic epidemiology. The analytic tools developed by the Division's world-renowned faculty have been applied in long-term, multicenter family and genetic studies such as: the NHLBI Family Heart Study for an evaluation and identification of the familial and genetic components for heart disease; the HyperGEN and Family Blood Pressure Program (FBPP) devoted to finding genes for hypertension; the HERITAGE Family Study devoted to evaluating the role of the genotype in one's response to exercise training. The Division has consistently attracted talented, promising young genetic epidemiologists who have gone on to make significant, high profile scientific contributions in their own right and moved on to leadership positions.

Our Department of Psychiatry, which is one of the leading departments of psychiatry in the world, also has an excellent international reputation in the field of psychiatric epidemiology and genetic epidemiology. The department's pioneering efforts have revolutionized our understanding of the genetic contribution to complex disorders in general and psychiatric disorders in particular. Research sponsored heavily by various components of the NIH system has led to key findings about genetic vulnerability to alcoholism, schizophrenia, and affective disorders. The faculty have played a critical role in demonstrating to the medical community the important role of epidemiological studies in psychiatric research. Graduates of their training programs are very reputed and occupy important leadership positions.

Our Department of Genetics is a leader among leaders in genome research. Its ground-breaking contributions to and eminent leadership on the Human Genome Project is well known. Its internationally acclaimed faculty are at the forefront of developing new physical and genetic mapping methods, identifying and isolating genes that cause (susceptibility to) inherited disease, and computational biology and bioinformatics, to name a few. Indeed, the scope of research and training is very broad and covers all major areas of modern genetics, with opportunities ranging from experimental organisms to humans, and from molecular genetics to population genetics. In short, the Department of Genetics is a core asset for the GEMS training program.

Core Faculty

C. Charles Gu, Ph.D., is a well-known investigator with considerable expertise in mathematical and computing sciences. His career has been devoted to applying his considerable skills in mathematical modeling and computing to issues of core importance in genetic epidemiology, such as study design, cost-benefit analysis, novel methods for analysis of linkage and association, meta-analysis, statistical methods for analysis of microarray expression data, and advanced mathematical modeling in bioinformatics. Division of Biostatistics.

Aldi Kraja, Ph.D. , is a Research Assistant Professor of Genetics in the Division of Statistical Genomics. He received a Ph.D. in 1993 from the Agriculture University , Tirana , Albania . In 1999 Dr. Kraja received a second Ph.D. in Quantitative Genetics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign . He has contributed as a researcher in the large NIH funded studies of the Family Heart Study, HyperGEN, and FBPP. His major contributions are in the methodological aspects and direct applications of the research. Dr. Kraja also works on a variety of projects where new methodology identifying LOH is being developed, and he is researching the epidemiology for the Metabolic Syndrome. His work represents a close collaboration with colleagues of the Division of Statistical Genomics, the Division of Biostatistics at Washington University in Saint Louis , the Genome Sequencing Center , and with other colleagues of different scientific centers in the US working on Human Genetics. He has served as a highly valued mentor for Master of Science and Ph.D. students. Department of Genetics, Division of Statistical Genomics.

Jinqin Luo, Ph.D. joined the Division of Biostatistics as an instructor in November, 2006. She received her M.S and Ph.D in statistics from Duke University ( Durham , NC ) in 2003 and 2006, respectively. Research activities of Dr. Luo include covariance estimation, Bayesian classification methods, marginal likelihood Monte Carlo estimation, sparse regression models, variable selection (subset selection and shrinkage methods). She has been focusing on statistical analysis of microarray gene expression data and proteomics data, ranging from power calculation to biomarker identification and patient classification. Division of Biostatistics.

Professor J. Philip Miller is an outstanding biostatistician with enormous expertise in the design and analysis of clinical trials, the operation of coordinating centers for multicenter studies, and in computing methods and resources. Professor Miller has extensive experience in managing and coordinating several clinical and multicenter studies by heading their coordinating centers or Biostatistics Core facilities on neuromuscular diseases; frailty and injury interventions in the elderly; post myocardial infarction interventions; imaging studies for Polycystic Kidney Disease, among others. His current research interests span neuroimaging studies of schizophrenics, newborn infants, and brain injured adults; imaging multi-drug resistance and modulation in breast cancer; long-term follow-up of hypertensive veterans; frailty in the elderly; and aging and Alzheimer's disease. Professor Miller is the director of the wubios Computing Resource for the Division of Biostatistics, and the Director of the Biostatistics Core for the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center. Division of Biostatistics.

Michael A. Province, Ph.D., is a world-renowned Genetic Epidemiologist and an outstanding Biostatistician. He has made numerous pioneering contributions to genetic epidemiology, thus earning the esteem of his colleagues and a solid reputation in the field for innovative thinking. He continues to make ground breaking methodological contributions, including novel sequential methods for analysis of genome wide linkage analysis, meta-analysis, and regression tree linkage analysis to address genetic heterogeneity. He has a keen analytic mind and insightful vision regarding what is needed and how to create solutions. With his superior talents and expertise in clinical trials and data management, he has exceptional leadership strengths in practical aspects of multicenter family and genetic studies. This powerful combination of theoretical and applied expertise in both Biostatistics and Genetic Epidemiology makes Dr. Province a unique scientist and an extraordinary resource. He is an outstanding teacher. Department of Genetics, Division of Statistical Genomics.

D.C. Rao, Ph.D., Director of the Division of Biostatistics and the GEMS Program Director, is one of the founding fathers of the field and has contributed immensely over the last 3 decades to the development and application of methods for the analysis of a wide array of complex human traits. He is the founding editor of the journal Genetic Epidemiology, and one of the early Presidents of the International Genetic Epidemiology Society. He is a well-respected figure who has provided leadership and direction in many endeavors. Dr. Rao has certainly helped to shape the field and remains in the middle of the dialog, with a keen appreciation of the issues and needs for the future. Dr. Rao's senior colleagues in the division are recognized and established leaders in the field in their own right, lending complementary skills and strengths. Division of Biostatistics.

John Rice, Ph.D., is a world-renowned genetic epidemiologist and an outstanding mathematical geneticist. He has made numerous pioneering contributions to genetic epidemiology methodology and has earned a unique reputation as a superb collaborator on large scale genetic studies in Psychiatry. He is especially well known in linkage analysis. He has a keen analytic mind and heads several research projects in psychiatric genetics and genetic epidemiology methodology. With his superior analytical expertise and considerable practical experience, he represents a great resource. He is an outstanding teacher. Department of Psychiatry.

Treva K. Rice, Ph.D. another acclaimed and accomplished Genetic Epidemiologist, is widely recognized especially in the challenging area of obesity genetics, and is an expert at elucidating genetic influences. Coming from a background in Behavior Genetics, Dr. Rice has particular expertise in structural equations modeling and has broad experience in the application of a variety of genetic epidemiological methods and approaches to family data. She has excellent hands-on experience in a broad array of practical tools that will enhance each student's education. Her organizational and training skills are superb. Division of Biostatistics.

Ken Schechtman, Ph.D. , is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics and Research Associate Professor of Medicine in Cardiology. He received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Washington University in 1978 and is an applied statistician with expertise in the design and analysis of clinical trials. Dr. Schechtman has broad experience in the conduct of both small clinical trials and large multicenter trials, especially in the areas of cardiology, exercise physiology, obesity, and asthma. He currently directs all consulting activities within the Division of Biostatistics. He is an excellent instructor whose teaching and mentoring skills are known throughout the Washington University Community. In addition to the Biostatistics for Research Workers in the summer semester, Dr. Schechtman also teaches a Biostatistics Course for CID each spring semester. Division of Biostatistics.

Mario Schootman, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine, Chief of the Division of Health Behavior Research, and Co-Program Leader of the Prevention and Control Program in the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center . After receiving his PhD in epidemiology from The University of Iowa in 1993, Dr. Schootman was employed for six years as the state chronic disease epidemiologist at the Iowa Department of Public Health. He has been with the Division of Health Behavior Research at Washington University School of Medicine since 1999. Dr. Schootman has focused his research on investigating disparities in breast cancer, including income and geographic disparities across the cancer care continuum ranging from prevention through quality of life and mortality. He has published about breast cancer screening of low-income women, and the geographic variation of screening, diagnosis, and treatment in breast cancer. He currently has NCI-funded grants focusing on the geographic variation of breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survival. In addition, he is examining neighborhood effects on development of disability in African Americans. Throughout his work, he is using multilevel models and a geographic information system (GIS) to examine how community and neighborhood indicators of disadvantage influence these outcomes. Division of Health Behavior Research.

Gary Stormo, Ph.D. , Program Director of a graduate training program in Computational Biology at Washington University, is one of the world leaders in computational biology and bioinformatics. His vision and extraordinary scientific leadership have already been reflected in the organizational plans for the GEMS program. Clearly, he is one of the major strengths for this and any other program dealing with mathematical and computational aspects of biology. Department of Genetics.

Yun Ju Sung, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics. She received a PhD in Statistics from the University of Minnesota in 2003 and did post-doctoral research in Medical Genetics at the University of Washington from 2003 to 2006. Her research interests are statistical genetics, computer programs for gene-mapping, Monte Carlo, maximum likelihood, missing data, and asymptotics. In her PhD research, she developed a Monte Carlo method to approximate the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) for missing data models. In her postdoctoral research, she developed (1) ascertainment adjustment for multivariate polygenic models and (2) a multilocus linkage analysis method (programmed in the MORGAN package) using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) for finding genes influencing complex traits. Division of Biostatistics.

All GEMS Faculty and Staff

Faculty / Staff	Position	Department/Division
Arpana Agrawal Ph.D.	Research Associate Professor	Statistical Genomics (Genetics)
Ping An, M.D.	Research Assistant Professor	Genetics (Statistical Genomics)
Ingrid B. Borecki, Ph.D.	Associate Professor	Statistical Genomics (Genetics)
Anne M. Bowcock, Ph.D.	Professor(Genetics)	Genetics (Human Genetics)
Bernard Brownstein, Ph.D.	Research Assistant	Surgery
Kathleen Bucholz, Ph.D.	Professor	Psychiatry
Ken Chen, Ph.D.	Genetics- Sequencing Center	Senior Scientist
James Cheverud, Ph.D	Professor	Anatomy & Neurobiology
J. Perren Cobb, M.D.	Professor	Surgery
F. Sessions Cole, M.D.	Professor	Pediatrics ( Pediatric Newborn Medicine)
C. Robert Cloninger, M.D.	Professor of	Psychiatry & Genetics
Victor G Davila-Roman, M.D.	Associate Professor	Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
E.Warwick Daw, Ph.D.	Research Assistant Professor	Genetics (Statistical Genomics)
Michael DeBaun, M.D., MPH	Professor	Pediatrics
Lisa de las Fuentes, M.D., M.S.	Assistant Professor	Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
Susan Dutcher, Ph.D.,	Professor	Genetics
Timothy Eberlein, M.D.	Professor	Surgery
Tom Ellenberger, D.V.M., Ph.D.	Professor	Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Mary Feitosa, Ph.D.	Research Assistant Professor	Genetics (Statistical Genomics)
Victoria Fraser, M.D.	Professor	Internal Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
Rita Fulton, B.S.	IT Suppport	Biostatistics
Alison Goate, Ph.D.	Professor of Genetics	Psychiatry
Paul J. Goodfellow, Ph.D.	Professor	Surgery
Timothy A. Graubert, M.D.	Associate Professor	Internal Medicine ((Bone Marrow Transplant)
C. Charles Gu, Ph.D.	Assistant Professor	Biostatistics
Aaron Hamvas, Ph.D.	Professor	Pediatrics
Hongyan Huang, Ph.D.	Statistical Data Analyst	Biostatistics
Mark Johnston, Ph.D.	Professor	Genetics
Michael Kass, M.D.	Professor	Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
Aldi Kraja, Ph.D.	Research Assistant Professor	Genetics (Statistical Genomics)
Michael Lovett, Ph.D.	Professor	Genetics (Human Genetics)
Jingqin (Rosy) Luo, Ph.D.	Instructor	Biostatistics
George Macones	Professor	Obstetrics & Gynecololgy
Derek Morgan, A.B.	Database Administrator	Genetics (Statistical Genomics)
J. Philip Miller, A.B.	Professor	Biostatistics
June C. Mueller, M.A.	GEMS Program Administrator	Biostatistics
Rakesh Nagarajan, M.D., Ph.D.	Assistant Professor	Pathology & Immunology (Laboratory & Genomic Medicine)
Rosalind J. Neuman, Ph.D.	Research Prof of Mathematics in Psychiatry	Psychiatry
Kenneth Polonsky, M.D.	Professor	Cell Biology
D.C. Rao, Ph.D.	Professor, GEMS Program Director	Biostatistics
Michael A. Province, Ph.D.	Professor	Genetics (Statistical Genomics)
John P. Rice, Ph.D.	Professor	Psychiatry
Treva K. Rice, Ph.D.	Research Associate Professor	Biostatistics
Nancy L. Saccone, Ph.D.	Assistant Professor	Genetics (Human Genetics)
Stanley Sawyer, Ph.D.	Professor	Mathematics
Kenneth B. Schechtman, Ph.D.	Associate Professor	Biostatistics
Mario Schootman, Ph.D.	Associate Professor	Internal Medicine (Health Behavior Research)
Erich Schraer, B.S., B.A.	Systems Manager	Biostatistics
Linda Schreier, B.S.	GEMS Support, SIPID PA	Biostatistics
Karen Schwander, M.S.	Senior Statistical Data Analyst	Biostatistics
Alan L. Schwartz, Ph.D., M.D.	Professor	Pediatrics
William D. Shannon, Ph.D.	Assistant Professor	Internal Medicine (General Medical Sciences)
Gang Shi, Ph.D.	Research Instructor	Biostatistics
Edward Spitznagel, Ph.D.	Professor	Mathematics
Gary Stormo, Ph.D.	Professor	Genetics
Yun Ju Sung, Ph.D.	Assistant Professor	Biostatistics
Alan Templeton, Ph.D.	Professor	Biology
R. Reid Townsend, M.D., Ph.D.	Associate Professor	Internal Medicine (Endocrine/Metabolism)
Herbert Virgin, M.D., Ph.D.	Professor	Pathology & Immunology
Mark A. Watson, MD, Ph.D.	Assistant Professor	Pathology & Immunology (Laboratory & Genomic Medicine)
Richard K.Wilson, Ph.D.	Director	Genome Sequencing Center
Chengjie Xiong, Ph.D.	Research Associate Professor	Biostatistics
Qunyuan Zhang, Ph.D.	Research Instructor	Genetics (Statistical Genomics)
Charles Zorumski, M.D.	Professor	Psychiatry

GEMS Administration & Governance