Dr. Ming-Ying Leung

Professor, Mathematical Sciences and

Director, Bioinformatics Program

Ph.D., 1989, Mathematics, Stanford University

Dr. Leung's research centers on probabilistic modeling and statistical bioinformatics, focusing on the applications of Markov models, Poisson approximations, and the scan statistics to DNA sequence analysis. She applied the scan statistics to identify unusual clusters of palindromes in the DNA genomes of herpesviruses. An algorithm for predicting viral replication origins based on palindrome clusters and other sequence patterns is currently being developed.

With a research theme in applied probability and statistical bioinformatics, several ongoing projects are funded by NIH, NSF, and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board ARP. Dr. Leung is interested in supporting research projects for  graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in bioinformatics research. Please visit her webpage about student supports for details.

Dr. Leung has strong interests in interdisciplinary education, especially in areas requiring mathematical and computational skills. In collaboration with colleagues in other disciplines, she has implemented curriculum changes for our graduate students in the Bioinformatics Program to enhance their learning in computer science, mathematics, and statistics. In an effort to promote awareness of computational skills essential to bioinformatics, Dr. Leung participates in teaching freshman classes and in developing undergraduate bioinformatics curriculum.