Rate My Professor Abra Brisbin

Abra Brisbin is Professor and Department Chair in the Mathematics Department at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a position she has held as chair since at least 2023. She joined the faculty in 2012 as an associate professor and advanced to full professor. Prior to her appointment at UW-Eau Claire, Brisbin served at the Mayo Clinic in the Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, where she conducted research in statistical genetics. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. and M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Cornell University, as well as a B.A. in Mathematics from Carleton College. As department chair, she oversees the Mathematics Department, located in Hibbard Hall, and contributes to initiatives such as the Math Springboard program.

Brisbin's research focuses on statistical genetics and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She develops statistical and computational methods to analyze genetic data, understand the genetic causes of disease and complex traits, and improve student learning through statistical approaches. Her publications include 'Bayesian genomic models for the incorporation of pathway topology knowledge into association studies' (Statistical Applications in Genetics and Molecular Biology, 2013, with B.L. Fridley), 'PCAdmix: Principal Components-based assignment of ancestry along each chromosome in individuals with admixed ancestry' (Human Biology, 2012), 'Localization of association signal from risk and protective variants in sequencing studies' (Frontiers in Statistical Genetics and Methodology, 2012), 'Meta-analysis of 8q24 for seven cancers reveals a locus between NOV and ENPP2' (BMC Medical Genetics, 2011), 'Fast, exact linkage analysis for categorical traits on arbitrary pedigree designs' (Genetic Epidemiology, 2011), and 'Bayesian linkage analysis of categorical traits for arbitrary pedigree designs' (PLoS One, 2010). She co-authored 'Women's Representation in Mathematics Subfields: Evidence from the arXiv' (2015, with Ursula Whitcher) and co-edited the book Research Connections: Career and Research Journeys from the SMP Community. Brisbin teaches courses in programming and data mining and is involved in the university's data science program. She maintains an active presence in professional service, including nominations for university fellowships and excellence awards for colleagues.