Research Summary: |
Kai's current research focuses on developing new statistical methods and software tools for the integrative analysis of high-throughput genomic data, including sequencing and proteomic data (e.g. RNA-sequencing, DNA genotype, and iTRAQ/TMT proteomics data). He develops methods for pre-processing such genomic data, and software to reproducibly execute these protocols. Currently, the joint analysis of RNA-sequencing data and DNA genotypes (delineated by genomic arrays or next generation sequencing) to detect patterns of transcript expression related to specific genetic variants - known as eQTLs, or expression quantitative trait loci - is one of his main research areas. In the future, he will extend these methods to also incorporate methylation and proteomic data in our quest to fully understand the underlying biology. |