Dr. Kenneth Lange

Biography

Kenneth Lange is a Distinguished Professor and Rosenfeld Professor of Computational Genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles. He chairs the Department of Human Genetics and has previously served as chair of the UCLA Department of Biomathematics. Before joining UCLA, he was a Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Michigan, where he was a recipient of the Pharmacia & Upjohn Foundation Research Professorship. Dr. Lange has authored four advanced textbooks and published over 200 scientific papers focusing on areas such as genetic epidemiology, population genetics, membrane physiology, demography, oncology, medical imaging, stochastic processes, and optimization theory. His significant contributions include the development of novel mathematical methods in optimization theory and applied probability, as well as advancements in computational statistics. Dr. Lange's research has been pivotal in bridging the gap between mathematical modeling and real biological phenomena, emphasizing the importance of realistic biological modeling in the advancement of biomedical sciences. Notable themes in his work include hidden Markov chains, Markov chain Monte Carlo, and high-dimensional optimization techniques, which have become foundational in biological research. He has also contributed important software tools to the human genetics community, including the program Mendel, known as a Swiss army knife for statistical genetics, and has focused on enhancing the analysis of large datasets generated by SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) association studies.

Research Interests