CBIOMES is pleased to welcome Parul Patil to the team as a postdoctoral researcher in Justin’s group at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Parul’s research lies at the intersection of statistics, machine learning, and environmental science, with a focus on developing computational methods for predictive modeling of complex spatial and stochastic systems. Her work has involved large-scale stochastic computer models, Bayesian statistical approaches, and scalable Gaussian process methods for understanding and forecasting ecological and environmental processes.
As part of her work with CBIOMES, Parul is developing hierarchical statistical models to predict microbial abundance across spatial locations, incorporating environmental data to improve predictions in regions where observations are limited. She is also applying convolutional neural networks to analyze complex cytogram data, advancing new approaches for understanding marine microbial communities and their distributions.
Parul completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Statistics at the University of Mumbai, India, and earned her PhD from Virginia Tech in 2026.
Welcome Parul!
Website | Google Scholar | ResearchGate
Story Image: Outside of research, Parul enjoys staying active through running, trekking, and yoga. She also spends her free time baking, reading, and playing video games.