Tianjing Zhao

Ph.D., Statistical and Quantitative Genetics, University of California-Davis, 2023
M.S., Statistics, University of California-Davis, 2019
B.S., Economic Statistics, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, China, 2017

Dr. Tianjing Zhao joined the Department of Animal Science in August of 2023 and currently serves as an assistant professor in theoretical quantitative genetics.

After earning her B.S., in Economic Statistics from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China in 2017, she went on to earn her M.S., in Statistics (2019), and then her Ph.D., in Statistical and Quantitative Genetics in 2023, both from University of California-Davis.

Statistical and Quantitative Genetics Lab
The Statistical and Quantitative Genetics Lab at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is focused on addressing challenges in genetic and genomic analysis in the era of big data and multi-omics data. Specifically, we 1) develop new statistical models to incorporate new data (e.g., multi-omics) into genomic data analysis, 2) participate in developing software tools for whole-genome data analysis, 3) develop new algorithms to speed up computations, and 4) conduct statistical analyses of quantitative genetics.

HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATIONS

• Tianjing Zhao, Fangyi Wang, Richard Mott, Jack Dekkers, and Hao Cheng. Using encrypted genotypes and phenotypes for collaborative genomic analyses to maintain data confidentiality. GENETICS, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyad210
• Jinghui Li, Tianjing Zhao, Dailu Guan, Zhangyuan Pan, Zhonghao Bai, Jinyan Teng, Zhe Zhang, Zhili Zheng, Jian Zeng, Huaijun Zhou, Lingzhao Fang, and Hao Cheng. Learning functional conservation between human and pig to decipher evolutionary mechanisms underlying gene expression and complex traits. Cell Genomics, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100390
• Tianjing Zhao, and Hao Cheng. Interpreting single-step genomic evaluations as mixed effects neural networks of three layers: pedigree, genotypes, and phenotypes. Genetics Selection Evolution, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-023-00838-7
• Tianjing Zhao, Jian Zeng, Hao Cheng, Extend mixed models to multilayer neural networks for genomic prediction including intermediate omics data, GENETICS, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyac034
• Tianjing Zhao, Rohan Fernando, and Hao Cheng. Interpretable artificial neural networks in-corporating Bayesian alphabet models for genome-wide prediction and association studies, G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkab228
• Tianjing Zhao, Rohan Fernando, Dorian Garrick, and Hao Cheng. Fast parallelized sampling of Bayesian regression models for whole-genome prediction. Genetics Selection Evolution, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12711-020-00533-x

PROCEEDINGS

• Jinghui Li, Tianjing Zhao, Zhangyuan Pan, Huaijun Zhou, Lingzhao Fang, and Hao Cheng. Quantifying the functional conservation between human and pig using artificial neural networks. Proceedings of the 12th world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, 2022. https://www.wageningenacademic.com/pb-assets/wagen/WCGALP2022/60_008.pdf
• Hao Cheng, Rohan Fernando, Dorian Garrick, Tianjing Zhao, and Jiayi Qu. JWAS version 2: leveraging biological information and high-throughput phenotypes into genomic prediction and association. Proceedings of the 12th world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, 2022. https://www.wageningenacademic.com/pb-assets/wagen/WCGALP2022/36_009.pdf
• Tianjing Zhao, Jian Zeng, and Hao Cheng. Extend mixed models to multi-layer neural networks for genomic prediction including intermediate omics data, Proceedings of the 12th world congress on genetics applied to livestock production, 2022. https://www.wageningenacademic.com/pb-assets/wagen/WCGALP2022/02_007.pdf

COMMUNITY SERVICE

• Guest Editor (genetic regulation of reproduction in livestock) - Frontiers in Genetics
• Review Editor (Livestock Genomics) - Frontiers in Genetics
• 2023 Vice Chair - Statistical Education/Training for Researchers Community for ASA
• 2024 Chair - Statistical Education/Training for Researchers Community for ASA

PRESENTATIONS

• 2023 National Agricultural Producers Data Cooperative (NAPDC) conference 
• 2023 Peter Hall Conference: Advances in Statistical Data Science 
• 2022 World congress on genetics applied to livestock production (WCGALP) 
• 2022 Advances in genome biology and technology agricultural (AGBT Ag) conference 
• 2022,2020 Integrative genetics and genomics graduate group colloquium 
• 2020 Plant and animal genome (PAG) conference