Iuliana Ionita-Laza

Why did you choose Lund University?

I have already spent two years as a visiting professor in the Department of Statistics at LUSEM, which has been an extremely positive experience. 

During this time, I have established strong collaborations with faculty members and PhD students, and I have secured a four-year grant from the Swedish Research Council to further develop my research within the department. I am very enthusiastic about continuing in this position.

Can you briefly describe your current research?

My primary research interests lie at the intersection of statistics, machine learning, and genomics. 

I focus on developing statistical and machine learning methods for the analysis of high-dimensional genetic and functional genomics data, as well as applying these methods to investigate the genetic basis of complex diseases and traits, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

What will be your main research focus during your time at Lund University?

I am interested in leveraging large-scale biobanks with rich genomic and phenotypic data to develop novel, computationally efficient statistical methods that go beyond the current state of the art to effectively extract information from these massive datasets. 

I am also interested in applications in neuroscience and hope to further expand my collaborations in this area with researchers at Lund.