Ying Ma

Ying Ma is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and a core member of the Center for Computational Molecular Biology at Brown University. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan and a BS from Nankai University. Her research focuses on developing statistical learning methods for genomic and genetic problems, particularly in single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. She has been awarded a named professorship in 2025. Her work integrates machine learning and Bayesian models to address challenges in high-dimensional genomic data analysis.

Education:

• PhD in Biostatistics, University of Michigan (2023)
• MS in Biostatistics, University of Michigan (2018)
• BS in [Field], Nankai University (2016)

Research Interests: Dr. Ma's research emphasizes the development of statistical methodologies for spatial transcriptomics, genetic risk prediction, and integrative multi-omics analysis. Her lab focuses on scalable computational tools and optimization algorithms for large-scale genomic datasets. Recent work includes the IRIS and CARD methods for spatial domain detection and cell-type deconvolution.

Scientific Contributions: Her publications span spatial transcriptomics, polygenic risk scores, and single-cell genomics. Notable contributions include the ExPRSweb repository for health exposure polygenic scores and the iDEA method for integrative differential expression analysis.

Lab and Team: The Ma Lab includes PhD candidates, master's students, and undergraduates working on projects ranging from spatial data analysis to genetic risk prediction. Current members include Chichun Tan, Yu (Zoe) Zhu, and Andrew Yang.