Cole Trapnell

Cole Trapnell has developed transformative computational tools for single-cell RNA sequencing analysis including Monocle for pseudotemporal ordering of cells and the TopHat/Cufflinks suite for RNA-seq alignment and transcript quantification, methods that have become essential for studying cancer cell heterogeneity, differentiation hierarchies, and treatment response at single-cell resolution. His research at the University of Washington has established computational frameworks for reconstructing cell fate decisions during tumor evolution and for identifying rare drug-resistant cell states. His tools are used in virtually every single-cell cancer genomics study worldwide.