Timothy Thornton

Dr. Timothy Thornton is a Clinical Professor and Chair of the Department of Biostatistics at the University of Washington School of Public Health. He specializes in statistical genetics, particularly focusing on genetic association studies involving complex traits, ancestry admixture, and population structure. His work addresses health disparities by analyzing how genetic ancestry impacts disease risk and treatment responses.

Education: BS in Mathematics from Hampton University, PhD in Statistics from the University of Chicago.

Research Interests: Statistical methodology for genetic studies, Alzheimer's disease genetics, cancer research, and computational biology. Notable work includes identifying ancestry-specific APOE gene effects on Alzheimer’s risk in Caribbean Hispanic populations.

Roles: Co-Investigator at the Genetic Analysis Center, Graduate Program Director in Biostatistics, and Associate Chair of Education. Featured in media discussions on genetic ancestry’s role in healthcare equity, including UW News and MyNorthwest.

Key Contributions: Advocates for integrating genetic ancestry data into clinical algorithms to improve outcomes for non-European populations, emphasizing the diversity within racial groups.