Elizabeth Purdom

Elizabeth Purdom is an Associate Professor in the Department of Statistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on statistical methodologies for analyzing high-throughput genomic data, with applications in molecular biology and genetics. She maintains an active laboratory in 433 Evans Hall and can be reached at epurdom@stat.berkeley.edu or (510) 642-6154.

Her research expertise encompasses:

• Computational biology and bioinformatics
• Statistical analysis of high-throughput genomic experiments
• Gene expression and alternative splicing analysis using microarrays and sequencing
• High-dimensional and multivariate statistical techniques
• Cancer genomics and molecular biology applications

Professor Purdom's recent publications demonstrate her leadership in single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, with significant contributions to cell type discovery, data integration, and visualization methods. Her work spans multiple biological domains including dermatology, plant biology, and neuroscience, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of modern genomic research. She has developed numerous software tools that have become standard in the field, addressing computational challenges in analyzing large-scale genomic datasets.

Among her notable achievements is being named a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator, recognizing her innovative contributions at the intersection of statistics and biology. Her research has been published in leading journals including Nature, Science Immunology, Genome Biology, and PLoS Computational Biology.

Professor Purdom actively collaborates across disciplines and has contributed to major projects including the creation of cell atlases for the mammalian motor cortex and olfactory system. Her methodological innovations have enabled new biological insights across diverse fields from psoriasis treatment to plant drought responses. She continues to develop cutting-edge statistical approaches for the next generation of genomic technologies.