BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Bruce Rannala
(a) Professional Preparation
Institution
Major/Area
Degree
Year
University of British Columbia
University of Toronto
Yale University
University of California, Berkeley
Zoology
Zoology
Biology
Population Genetics
B.Sc.
M.Sc.
PhD
Postdoc
1989
1991
1995
1995-98
(b) Appointments
1998-2000
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Ecol. and Evol., State University of New
York, Stony Brook
2000-2002
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta,
Edmonton
2002-2004
Associate Professor, Dept. of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta,
Edmonton
2006-2008
Associate Director of Bioinformatics and Professor, Genome Center, UC
Davis
2004-present Professor, Genome Center and Dept. of Evolution and Ecology, UC Davis
(c) Publications (selected from a total of 65 peer-reviewed publications)
(i)
Publications related to the proposed project
Y. Wang and B. Rannala. 2009. Population genomic inference of recombination rates
and hotspots. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 106: 62106214.
Y. Wang and B. Rannala. 2008. Bayesian inference of fine-scale recombination rates
using population genomic data. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
363: 3921-3930.
Mateiu, L., and B. Rannala. 2006. Inferring Complex DNA Substitution Processes on
Phylogenies Using Uniformization and Data Augmentation. Systematic Biology 55:
259-269.
Yang, Z., and B. Rannala. 2006. Bayesian estimation of species divergence times
under a molecular clock using fossil calibrations with soft bounds. Molecular Biology
and Evolution 23: 212-226.
Wang, Y., and B. Rannala. 2005. In Silico Analysis of Disease-Association Mapping
Strategies Using the Coalescent Process and Incorporating Ascertainment and
Selection. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 76: 1066-1073.
(ii)
Other publications
B. Rannala and Z. Yang. 2008. Phylogenetic inference using whole genomes. Annual
Review of Genomics and Human Genetics 9: 217-231.
L. Mateiu and B. Rannala. 2008. Bayesian inference of errors in ancient DNA caused
by postmortem degradation. Molecular Biology and Evolution 25: 1503-1511.
Cranston, K., and B. Rannala. 2007. Summarizing a posterior distribution of trees
using agreement subtrees. Systematic Biology 56: 578-590.
Rannala, B., and Z. Yang. 2007. Inferring speciation times under an episodic
molecular clock. Systematic Biology 56: 453-466.
Yang, Z., and B. Rannala. 2005. Branch-length prior influences Bayesian posterior
probability of phylogeny. Systematic Biology 54: 455-470.
(d) Synergistic Activities
Dr. Rannala’s research group has developed (and supports) several open source
population genetics software packages including BayesAss, DMLE, Immanc and
InferRho. He also collaborated in the development of the BPP program for Bayesian
phylogenetics (distributed by Ziheng Yang). Dr. Rannala has contributed to the diversity
of the (predominantly male) community of theoretical population geneticists, with 4 of 5
students completing a Ph.D. under his supervision being female. Dr. Rannala has also cosupervised, or mentored, Ph.D. students from several developing countries including
China and Thailand and regularly teaches in international phylogenetics workshops in
China, Sweden, the UK and the US.
(NSF description of synergistic activities:
A list of up to five examples that demonstrate the broader impact of the individual’s professional
and scholarly activities that focuses on the integration and transfer of knowledge as well as its
creation. Examples could include, among others: innovations in teaching and training (e.g.,
development of curricular materials and pedagogical methods); contributions to the science of
learning; development and/or refinement of research tools; computation methodologies, and
algorithms for problem-solving; development of databases to support research and education;
broadening the participation of groups underrepresented in science, mathematics, engineering
and technology; and service to the scientific and engineering community outside of the
individual’s immediate organization.)
(e) Collaborators and other Affiliations
Collaborators
Bumroongkit, K.
Cranston, K.
Fetterman, C. D.
Kangwanpong, D.
Mateiu, L.
Ro, S.
Srikummool, M.
Traisathit, P.
Walter, M. A.
Wang, Y.
Wongchai, Y.
Yang, Z.
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
NESCent, Durham NC
University of Alberta
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium
Yonsei University Medical School, South Korea
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
University of Alberta
University of Chicago
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
University College London
Graduate Advisors (if not listed above)
Hartigan, J.A.
Yale University
Wagner, G.P.
Yale University
Thesis Advisors and Postdoctoral-Scholar Sponsor (if not listed above)
Leache, A.
University of Washington
Qin, X.J.
Duke University
Reeve, J.
University of Alberta
Wilson, G.
Canadian Wildlife Service
(NSF description of Collaborators and other Affiliations:
Collaborators and Co-Editors. A list of all persons in alphabetical order (including their current
organizational affiliations) who are currently, or who have been collaborators or co-authors with
the individual on a project, book, article, report, abstract or paper during the 48 months preceding
the submission of the proposal. Also include those individuals who are currently or have been coeditors of a journal, compendium, or conference proceedings during the 24 months preceding the
submission of the proposal. If there are no collaborators or co-editors to report, this should be so
indicated.
• Graduate Advisors and Postdoctoral Sponsors. A list of the names of the individual’s own
graduate advisor(s) and principal postdoctoral sponsor(s), and their current organizational
affiliations.
• Thesis Advisor and Postgraduate-Scholar Sponsor. A list of all persons (including their
organizational affiliations), with whom the individual has had an association as thesis advisor, or
with whom the individual has had an association within the last five years as a postgraduatescholar sponsor. The total number of graduate students advised and postdoctoral scholars
sponsored also must be identified.)