Research Interests:  
My current and future research interests include statistical models and inferences for complex human diseases and quantitative traits, statistical issues in genome-wide association studies, statistical challenges in micro-array data, modeling of social networks and behaviors, applications of statistical tools, such as multi-level models in the area of social science, epidemiology and public health.

Statistical Softwares

Ongoing and pending projects:

• Genome-wide association study of blood pressure in Nigerians. The goal is to combine high-throughput genotyping with a sophisticated epidemiologic design to examine potential gene-environment interactions for known candidate genes.
• Modeling obesity through simulation. The goal is to develop innovative statistical and computational methods for models complicated dependence structure between individuals.
• Characterization of biobank samples from 5 populations. The goal is to study the population structure and stratification using bio-bank samples.
• Analysis based on the data of Puerto Rican elderly: health conditions. There are a lot of possibilities for analysis based on this information rich data set.

Teaching:

• Spring 2012
  • Stat/Biol 337 - Quantitative Bioinformatics, TuTh 10:00am-11:15am, Mundelein Center 403
  
  
• Previous years

Publications:

1. DA Shoham, L Tong, PJ Lamberson, AH Auchincloss, J Zhang, LR Dugas, JS Kaufman, RS Cooper, and A Luke (2012). An Actor-based Network Model of Adolescent Body Size, Screen Time, and Physical Activity. PLoS . To appear.
2. Liping Tong, Bamidele Tayo, Jie Yang, Richard Cooper (2011). Compare the SNP-based and Gene-based Association Studies in Detecting Rare Variants Using Unrelated Individuals. BMC Proceedings 2011, 5(Suppl 9): S41.
3. Bamidele Tayo, Marie Teil, Liping Tong, Huaizhen Qin, Gregory Khitrov, Weijia Zhang, Quinbin Song, Xiaofeng Zhu, Alexandre Pereira, Richard Cooper, Erwin P. Bottinger (2011). Genetic Background of Patients from a University Medical Center in Manhattan: Implications for Personalized Medicine. PLoS ONE 6(5): e19166.
4. Liping Tong (2010). Bayesian Methods in Multi-Color Optical Mapping. International Journal of Mathematics and Computer Science 5: 101-122.
5. Liping Tong, Jie Yang, Richard Cooper (2010). Efficient Calculation of P-value and Power for Quadratic Form Statistics in Multilocus Association Testing. Annals of Human Genetics 74: 275-285.
   
   • Software for Chi-square Approximation to Quadratic Form Statistics
6. Liping Tong, and Elizabeth Thompson (2008). Multilocus Lod Scores in Large Pedigrees: Combination of Exact and Approximate Calculations. Human Heredity 65: 142-153.
7. Yun Ju Sung, Yanming Di, Audrey Q Fu, Joseph H Rothstein, Weiva Sieh, Liping Tong, Elizabeth A Thompson, and Ellen M Wijsman (2007). Comparison of Multipoint Linkage Analyses for Quantitative Traits: Parametric Lod Scores, Variance Components Lod Scores and Bayes Factors in the CEPH Data. BMC Proceedings 2007, 1(Suppl 1): S93.
8. Liping Tong, Laurie Mets and Mary Sara McPeek (2007). Likelihood-based Inference for Multi-Color Optical Mapping Data. Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology: Vol. 6: Iss. 1, Article 5.
9. Sunati Sahoo, Wendy M. Recant, Liping Tong and Ruth Heimann (2005). Defining Negative Margins in DCIS Patients Treated with Breast Conservation Therapy - University of Chicago Experience. The Breast Journal 11 (4), 242-247.
10. Liping Tong (2004). Statistical Inference for Multi-color Optical Mapping Data. PhD dissertation, the University of Chicago.
11. Xizhi Wu, Bo Cheng, Linxu Liu, Liping Tong, Wenxuan Zhong and Huaiyu Xiong (2000). Statistics (Translation), Gudmund R. Iversen & Mary Gergen. Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

Working Papers:

1. Liping Tong, David Shoham, Richard Cooper (2012). Co-evolution Model for Dynamic Social Network and Behavior. To be submitted.