Laura Tipton

Laura Tipton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at James Madison University (JMU), affiliated with the College of Science and Mathematics. Her research focuses on microbiome dynamics across diverse habitats such as human lungs, aerobiota, invertebrate guts, and fermented foods, emphasizing bacterial-fungal interactions and robust statistical methodologies. She integrates techniques from ecology, machine learning, and graph theory, with side projects in digital humanities, data visualization, and data feminism.

Education:

• PhD in Computational Biology (2016), University of Pittsburgh/Carnegie Mellon University
• MS in Statistics (2011), George Washington University
• BA in Biostatistics (2007), University of Virginia

Her research interests span microbiome analysis, microbial interactions, and interdisciplinary data science. Recent work includes studies on airborne fungal DNA dynamics, fungal contributions to neonatal lung diseases, and psychobiotic field developments. She emphasizes methodological innovation in microbiome studies and advocates for inclusive data practices. While no formal awards or grants are listed, her work reflects significant contributions to collaborative projects like the Global Spore Sampling Project and Pacific Innovations, Knowledge, and Opportunities (PIKO) Program.

Laura’s advising focuses on mentoring students in interdisciplinary projects at the intersection of mathematics, biology, and computational science.