About the lab

Research. Research in the lab focuses on mathematical, statistical, and computational problems in evolutionary biology and human genetics. Primary areas of research in the lab include:

• Human genetic variation and inference of human evolutionary history from genetic markers
  
• Theoretical population genetics and mathematical modeling of gene genealogies
  
• Mathematics of evolutionary trees and the intersection of population genetics and phylogenetic inference ("gene trees and species trees")
  
• The relationship of human evolutionary genetics to the search for genes that contribute to disease-susceptibility

We are interested in mathematical problems that seek to understand the patterns that are generated by evolutionary processes; in development and application of statistical methods for inference from genetic data; and in the ultimate biological applications of our theoretical and methodological work. Read more about research in the lab...

Members. Members of the lab have received their previous academic training in a variety of fields, including anthropological genetics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, biological anthropology, biology, chemistry, computer science, ecology & evolution, genetics, human biology, human genetics, mathematics, molecular & cellular biology, psychology, and statistics. Lab alumni now hold faculty positions at the Natural History Museum of Paris, the University of Canterbury, the University of Grenoble, the University of Idaho, Uppsala University, and the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
      Lab members each contribute to a warm and interactive intellectual atmosphere with a strong commitment to rigor and training in mathematical, statistical, and computational approaches to biology. Members enter the group with a high degree of independence, motivation, and training; undergraduates and early-stage graduate students are often paired with senior members for the initial stages of their work in the lab. Typical research profiles for graduate students and postdocs include components of theory, methodological development, and data analysis, and both individual and team-oriented projects.
      As part of their work, members of the lab strive to promote interconnectedness among academic disciplines; clear and thorough scientific writing; informative presentation of scientific results; support and mentorship for junior members; and openness in disseminating the products of their research. We seek to bring in new members who share our research interests and our values regarding the scientific process. Read more about joining the lab...

Environment. We are located in newly renovated space on the third floor of the Herrin Labs building at Stanford. Herrin Labs is part of a complex of three buildings that house the Department of Biology and the Falconer Biology Library, and it is a short distance from the main quad, the math, statistics, and computer science departments, the Stanford University Medical Center, the Cantor Arts Center, and Bytes Cafe. Read more about the lab environment...