Elizabeth A. Thompson

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University of Washington
College of Arts and Sciences
Statistics
ProfessorAppointed: 1986
University of Washington
School of Public Health and Community Medicine
Biostatistics
ProfessorAppointed: 1986

Mailing Address

B313 Padelford Hall Box 354322
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington 98195-4322
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (206) 543-7237
Fax: (206) 685-7419
thompson@stat.washington.edu

Qualifications

M.A., Cambridge University, 1974.
Ph.D., Cambridge University, Statistics, 1974.
Dip. Math. Stat., Cambridge University, Statistics, 1971.
B.A., Cambridge University, Mathematics, 1970.

Expertise and Research Interests

My research concerns the development of computational and statistical methods for the analysis of genetic data, in order to address questions in population genetics, evolutionary ecology, conservation biology, genetic epidemiology and molecular biology. Specifically, the main focus of my research is on the patterns of data observed on members of large complex pedigress. From a statistical perspective my interest is in likelihood inference, which, since 1989, has developed into studies of Monte Carlo likelihood methods using Markov chain Monte Carlo. Statistical inference in many scientific fields is increasingly being called upon to address large amounts of interdependent data resulting form complex processes. New Monte Carlo methods are being developed to assist in the analysis of such data. While image analysis and signal processing prompted some of these developments, the methods also provide a new framework for inference in a variety of genetic problems.Molecular genetics provides a prime example of massiv eamounts of complex interdependent data, dependencies resulting from relationships between genes, and from the structure of the genetic map. I have done extensive research in each of the three main areas of genetic inference:inferences of the genetic mechanisms underlying a trait;inference of relationships between individuals;inferences as to the genes carried by individuals.From 1972-1987, I developed methods to address the genetic data then available, but these methods are no longer directly applicable. In each of the three areas, molecular biology technological advances have revolutionized the potential information available, and thus the appropriate approaches to statistical analysis. Since 1988, I have worked primarily on the development of Monte Carlo methods that can be used to analyse the type of data now becoming available.

Other Expertise

Honors:1981, Elected to International Statistical Institute;1988, Awarded Doctor of Science degree, University of Cambridge;1991, IMS Special Invited Lecturer, Santa Barbara Meeting, July;1994, R.A. Fisher Lecture, Joint Statistical Meetings, TorontoEditorial Activities:1983-present, Associate Editor, IMA J. of Math. Appl. in Medicine and Biology;1993-present, Associate Editor, Biometrics (Shorter Communications);1993-present, Editorial Board, Journal of Computational Biology;1994-present, Associate Editor, Annals of Statistics;1995-present, Editorial Board, IBS Monograph Series: Case Studies in Biometry

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Biostatistics, Mathematical Modeling (Medical), Medical Genetics, Statistics.

Additional Terms:

Statistical Analysis of Human Genetic Data, Statistics of Conservation and Computational Biology.

Previous Positions

1976-1985, University Lecturer, Cambridge University
1974-1975, SRC/NATO Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University
1981-1985, Newham College, CAmbridge, College Lecturer and Director of Studies in Mathematics
1978-1981, King's College, Cambridge, Official Fellow and Financial Tutor
1975-1976, King's College, Cambridge, Research Fellow

Publications

  • Thompson EA, Eggert LL, Using the suicide risk screen to identify suicidal adolescents among potential high school dropouts., Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(12), 1506-14, December 1999 Abstract
  • Li H, Thompson E A, Wijsman E M, Semiparametric estimation of major gene effects for age of onset., Genetic Epidemiology, 15(3), 279-98, 1998 Abstract
  • Li H, Thompson E, Semiparametric estimation of major gene and family-specific random effects for age of onset., Biometrics, 53(1), 282-93, March 1997 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Horn M, Herting J R, Eggert L L, Enhancing outcomes in an indicated drug prevention program for high-risk youth., Journal of Drug Education, 27(1), 19-41, 1997 Abstract
  • Heath S C, Snow G L, Thompson E A, Tseng C, Wijsman E M, MCMC segregation and linkage analysis., Genetic Epidemiology, 14(6), 1011-6, 1997 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Neel J V, Allelic disequilibrium and allele frequency distribution as a function of social and demographic history., American Journal of Human Genetics, 60(1), 197-204, January 1997 Abstract
  • Bickeboller H, Thompson E A, Distribution of genome shared IBD by half-sibs: approximation by the Poisson clumping heuristic., Theoretical Population Biology, 50(1), 66-90, August 1996 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Neel J V, Private polymorphisms: how many? How old? How useful for genetic taxonomies?, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 5(1), 220-31, February 1996 Abstract
  • Eggert L L, Herting J R, Thompson E A, The Drug Involvement Scale for Adolescents (DISA)., Journal of Drug Education, 26(2), 101-30, 1996 Abstract
  • Eggert L L, Thompson E A, Herting J R, Nicholas L J, Reducing suicide potential among high-risk youth: tests of a school-based prevention program., Suicide and Life-threatening Behavior, 25(2), 276-96, 1 Jul 1995 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Moody K A, Eggert L L, Discriminating suicide ideation among high-risk youth., Journal of School Health, 64(9), 361-7, November 1994 Abstract
  • Lin S, Thompson E, Wijsman E, An algorithm for Monte Carlo estimation of genotype probabilities on complex pedigrees., Annals of Human Genetics, 58 ( Pt 4), 343-57, October 1994 Abstract
  • Thompson E, The woman on the kerb [editorial], Bmj, 309(6948), 141-2, 16 Jul 1994 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Monte Carlo likelihood in the genetic mapping of complex traits., Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society of london. Series B: Biological Sciences, 344(1310), 345-50; discussion 3, 29 Jun 1994 Abstract
  • Guo S W, Thompson E A, Monte Carlo estimation of mixed models for large complex pedigrees., Biometrics, 50(2), 417-32, June 1994 Abstract
  • Lin S, Thompson E, Wijsman E, Finding noncommunicating sets for Markov chain Monte Carlo estimations on pedigrees., American Journal of Human Genetics, 54(4), 695-704, April 1994 Abstract
  • Eggert L L, Thompson E A, Herting J R, Nicholas L J, Prevention research program: reconnecting at-risk youth., Issues In Mental Health Nursing, 15(2), 107-35, March 1994 Abstract
  • Eggert L L, Thompson E A, Herting J R, A measure of adolescent potential for suicide (MAPS): development and preliminary findings., Suicide and Life-threatening Behavior, 24(4), 359-81, 1 Jan 1994 Abstract
  • Lin S, Thompson E, Wijsman E, Achieving irreducibility of the Markov chain Monte Carlo method applied to pedigree data., Ima Journal of Mathematics Applied In Medicine and Biology, 10(1), 1-17, 1993 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Lin S, Olshen A B, Wijsman E M, Monte Carlo analysis on a large pedigree., Genetic Epidemiology, 10(6), 677-82, 1993 Abstract
  • Guo S W, Thompson E A, A Monte Carlo method for combined segregation and linkage analysis., American Journal of Human Genetics, 51(5), 1111-26, November 1992 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Neel J V, Smouse P E, Barrantes R, Microevolution of the Chibcha-speaking peoples of lower Central America: rare genes in an Amerindian complex., American Journal of Human Genetics, 51(3), 609-26, September 1992 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Shaw R G, Estimating polygenic models for multivariate data on large pedigrees., Genetics, 131(4), 971-8, August 1992 Abstract
  • Guo S W, Thompson E A, Performing the exact test of Hardy-Weinberg proportion for multiple alleles., Biometrics, 48(2), 361-72, June 1992 Abstract
  • Blossey H, Guo S W, McKnight B, Tierney C, Thompson E, Wijsman E, Linkage analysis of malignant melanoma with the chromosome 1 markers D1S47 and PND., Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics, 59(2-3), 182-4, 1992 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Guo S W, Evaluation of likelihood ratios for complex genetic models., Ima Journal of Mathematics Applied In Medicine and Biology, 8(3), 149-69, 1991 Abstract
  • Guo S W, Thompson E A, Monte Carlo estimation of variance component models for large complex pedigrees., Ima Journal of Mathematics Applied In Medicine and Biology, 8(3), 171-89, 1991 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, R.A. Fisher's contributions to genetical statistics., Biometrics, 46(4), 905-14, December 1990 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Shaw R G, Pedigree analysis for quantitative traits: variance components without matrix inversion., Biometrics, 46(2), 399-413, June 1990 Abstract
  • Thompson E A, Morgan K, Recursive descent probabilities for rare recessive lethals., Annals of Human Genetics, 53 ( Pt 4), 357-74, October 1989 Abstract
  • Walters E, Thompson E, Mapping rare recessives from data on affected individuals: a comparative analysis., Progress In Clinical and Biological Research, 329, 213-8, 1989 Abstract
  • Thompson, E.A. (1994) Monte Carlo likelihood in genetic mapping. Statistical Science, 9, 355-366
  • Guo, S.W. and Thompson, E.A. (1994) Monte Carlo estimation of mixed models for large complex pedigrees. Biometrics 50:417-432
  • Geyer, C.J. and E.A Thompson. (1992) Constrined Monte Carlo maximum liklihood for dependent data, (with discussion). J. Roy. Statist. Soc. Ser. B 54:657-699
  • Thompson, E.A. and Huo, S-W. (1991) Monte Carlo evaluation of likelihood ratios. I.M.A. J. Math. Appl. in Med. & Biol. 8:149-169
  • Thompson, E.A. (1986) Pedigree Analysis in Human Genetics. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD

Profile Details

Last Updated: 9/14/1998

COS Expertise ID #320355
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