Fei Zou

Dr. Fei Zou is a Professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, affiliated with the Gillings School of Global Public Health. She leads research in statistical methodologies for genetic data analysis, specializing in quantitative genetics and genomic data interpretation. Her work focuses on advancing machine learning applications for big EHR data and high-dimensional genetic datasets.

Education: PhD in Statistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2001), MS in Mathematical Statistics from Wuhan University (1993), and BS in Mathematics from Wuhan University (1990).

Research interests include genetic mapping (linkage/association studies), copy number variation analysis, and next-generation sequencing methodologies. She directs the Biostatistics/Bioinformatics Core of the UNC Neuroscience Center and is a core member of the Carolina Center for Genome Sciences. Her contributions to statistical genetics include developing algorithms for collaborative cross mouse models and genomic data analysis tools like ShrunkenPCA.

Awards include the David Byar Young Investigator Award (2001) and the Gordon Research Fellowship (2001). Active in academic service, she serves on NIH review panels and curriculum committees. Teaching focuses on statistical genetics and bioinformatics courses such as BIOS 783 and BCB723.

Software contributions include HapSample (SNP genotype simulation) and Semiparametric QTL mapping tools. Her research bridges statistical theory with practical applications in translational and clinical research through collaborations in the UNC Center for AIDS Research and NC TraCS Institute.