About

Baolin Wu is a Professor of Biostatistics at the UC Irvine Joe C Wen School of Population & Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. His key research areas include Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, Clinical trials, Statistical genetics, Genetic epidemiology, and Machine learning. He is actively engaged in developing research partnerships and interdisciplinary projects with various collaborators across diverse disciplines at UC Irvine. Baolin Wu has been involved in many research projects that not only help his biomedical collaborators solve their scientific research questions and make translational impact but also motivate his own methodology research. His methodology research focuses on developing novel statistical and computational methods that can more efficiently extract useful and accurate information from the vast amount of data available. Baolin Wu received his BS in Probability and Statistics from Peking University (1995-1999) and his PhD in Biostatistics from Yale University (1999-2004).

Research topics

• Biology
• Psychiatry
• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Neuroscience
• Endocrinology
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Genetics
• Psychology
• Cell biology

Selected publications

• Comparative biomechanical and molecular mechanisms shaping erect and prostrate winter growth habits in wheat

  Plant Science · 2026-05-06

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Hysteresis in flag leaf temperature based on meteorological factors during the reproductive growth stage of wheat and the design of a predictive model

  Computers and Electronics in Agriculture · 2025-02-13 · 3 citations

  article1st author
  PublisherDOI

• Transcriptome and metabolome analyses reveal the potential mechanism of root zone temperature regulates the growth rhythm of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) seedlings

  Industrial Crops and Products · 2025-04-29 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access1st author

  Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) is a perennial warm-season C₄ plant that is a vital resource for forage production, soil and water conservation, and renewable energy. However, its slow seedling growth limits its broader application, with the underlying reasons for this slow growth not being well understood. This study examined the growth patterns, physiological metrics, and transcriptomic and metabolic profiles of Alamo cultivar seedlings under simulated root-zone temperature conditions. A moderate increase in root-zone temperature could enhance seedling growth, as evidenced by increases in plant height, stem diameter, root length, and fresh weight. A 6 °C increase in root-zone temperature significantly elevated chlorophyll, starch, lignin, soluble sugars, and soluble proteins in leaves, along with root vitality. An integrated multi-omics analysis revealed that genes associated with the IAA, ABA, JA, BR, SA, ETH, and CTK signaling pathways were differentially expressed. Additionally, the hormone content varied across different temperature treatment groups. Notably, the ZOG gene, involved in cytokinin biosynthesis, was downregulated, whereas 21 genes related to the two-component system were consistently upregulated. Additionally, flavonoid metabolism and the expression of genes associated with their biosynthesis were identified as crucial pathways in response to changes in root-zone temperature. Notably, as root zone temperatures increase, enhanced leaf photosynthesis coupled with weakened root energy metabolism may represent a balancing mechanism by which seedlings respond to changes in root zone temperature. This phenomenon requires further investigation. We propose a molecular model to account for the growth rhythm of switchgrass seedlings induced by root zone temperature variations. These findings offer a reference for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the slow development of switchgrass seedlings and offer valuable insights for the genetic improvement of switchgrass and other crops. • This study examined switchgrass seedling growth rhythms via simulated seasonal root-zone temperature changes. • A moderate root-zone temperature increase promoted switchgrass seedling growth, enhancing plant height, stem diameter, fresh weight, chlorophyll content, and other indicators. • Comparative analyses revealed that plant hormone pathways, flavonoid metabolism, photosynthesis, glycolysis, and the TCA cycle regulate switchgrass growth under varying root-zone temperatures. • Key metabolites and differentially expressed genes were identified, and a molecular network model for root-zone temperature regulation of switchgrass seedling growth was constructed.

  PublisherDOI

• DDDR-04. A retrospective study: can next-generation sequencing predict resistance or sensitivity mechanisms to somatostatin analogues in meningioma?

  Neuro-Oncology · 2025-11-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Meningiomas are the most common benign primary adult brain tumor. While surgery and radiation remain standard treatments, therapeutic options for recurrent or progressive disease are limited. Somatostatin analogues (SSAs), such as octreotide, have demonstrated modest efficacy, particularly in SSTR2-expressing tumors. Progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months is a commonly used clinical trial endpoint, with PFS at 12 and 24 months also relevant given the typically indolent course of these tumors. This single-center, retrospective study evaluated whether next-generation sequencing (NGS) can identify molecular predictors of SSA response or resistance in meningioma. We reviewed records of patients with WHO grade I–III meningiomas treated with ≥3 doses of octreotide between 2012 and 2024 at the University of California, Irvine. Nineteen patients (9 male, 10 female; median age 65) were included. Data collected included demographics, histomolecular pathology, WHO grade, prior treatments, SSA treatment duration, and SSTR2 expression. NGS analysis included somatic/germline variants as well as genetic mutations and variable RNA expression in TERT, CDKN2A/B, PIK3CA, AKT1, NF2, SMO, EGFR, NFKB1/2, PTEN, CREBBP, BRAF, and other variants of unknown significance (VUS). We applied a Cox proportional hazard model to analyze the impact of all NGS variants on PFS6, adjusting for age and sex. We created an expression score that summarizes the total expressed variants and found a significant association with 6-month PFS (HR 0.496, P=0.028), suggesting the potential benefits of incorporating the NGS to improve PFS6. Individual variants did not show any significant association after multiple testing corrections when analyzed separately. No significant associations for PFS12 and PFS24 were found. SSTR2 analysis is ongoing. NGS profiling may aid in identifying molecular predictors of SSA response in meningioma. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to validate these findings and to continue to explore mechanisms of resistance.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Morphological, productivity and grain quality characteristics and evolutionary trends of wheat cultivars in different ecological regions of China in the past decades

  Journal of Cereal Science · 2025-10-25

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Two-Component System Genes in Switchgrass (Panicum Virgatum L.)

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Enhanced ViBe Algorithm for Floating Object Detection on Water Surfaces

  2024-08-23

  article1st authorCorresponding

  To eliminate false detections caused by water surface fluctuations, an enhanced ViBe-based method for detecting floating objects on water surfaces is proposed. In this method, serval aspects are improved in the original Vibe algorithm. First, the water surface background is first initialized by using the average background method. Then, an impact of water surface reflections on foreground detection through HSV color space is reduced and adaptive threshold is designed. to eliminate the influence of water surface blinking pixels through blinking level. Finally, Gaussian pyramid multi-scale decomposition and fusion is utilized to achieve complete extraction of floating objects and remove water surface noise. Experimental results on real-world videos show that, the proposed method effectively reduces the interference of water surface ripples and accurately detects and extracts floating objects on the water surface.

  PublisherDOI

• Design and modeling of a double rod magnetorheological grease damper

  Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology · 2024-08-01 · 6 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Hysteresis in Flag Leaf Temperature Based on Meteorological Factors During the Reproductive Growth Stage of Wheat and the Design of a Predictive Model

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Genetic Basis of Tillering Angle from Other Plants to Wheat: Current Progress and Future Perspectives

  Plants · 2024-11-18 · 5 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Plant architecture is an important agronomic trait that impacts crop yield. The tiller angle is a critical aspect of the plant's structural organization, which is influenced by both internal and external factors. The genetic mechanisms underlying the tiller angle have been extensively investigated in other plants. However, research on wheat is relatively limited. Additionally, mechanics has emerged as a connection between biochemical signaling and the development of three-dimensional biological forms. It not only reveals how physical interactions at the cellular level influence overall morphogenesis but also elucidates the interplay between these mechanical processes and molecular signaling pathways that collectively determine plant morphology. This review examines the recent advancements in the study of tillering angle in wheat and other plants. It discusses progress in research ranging from observable characteristics to the regulation of genes, as well as the physiological and biochemical aspects, and the adaptability to environmental factors. In addition, this review also discusses the effects of mechanical on plant growth and development, and provides ideas for the study of mechanical regulation mechanism of tillering angle in wheat. Consequently, based on the research of other plants and combined with the genetic and mechanical principles, this approach offers novel insights and methodologies for studying tillering in wheat. This interdisciplinary research framework not only enhances our understanding of the mechanisms underlying wheat growth and development but may also uncover the critical factors that regulate tillering angle, thereby providing a scientific foundation for improving wheat yield and adaptability.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01GM083345

  NIH · $1.0M · 2015

• NIH Grant R01CA134848

  NIH · $291k · 2012

Frequent coauthors

• Hong Yu

  Sun Yat-sen University

  100 shared

• Yuchao Wang

  Wuhan University of Technology

  75 shared

• Xiaoqi Chen

  75 shared

• Yang Liu

  Beihua University

  75 shared

• Jinglong Wu

  Central South University of Forestry and Technology

  75 shared

• Hongli Liu

  Huazhong University of Science and Technology

  50 shared

• Bo Yang

  50 shared

• Jian Wang

  50 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Environmental Health Sciences

  University of California, Los Angeles

  1995

• M.S., Environmental Health Sciences

  University of California, Los Angeles

  1992

• B.S., Environmental Health Sciences

  University of California, Los Angeles

  1989

Awards & honors

• Mentored minority junior faculty selected for a PLE NARY ora…
• Outstanding Dissertation Research Fellowship, 2020
• American Statistical Association (ASA) Biopharmaceutical Sec…
• Biostatistics Outstanding Research Assistant Award, 2018
• Five public health faculty awarded $40,000 for innovative ca…