Dr. Eliana Christou, Associate Professor of Statistics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, will be discussing about "Sufficient Dimension Reduction for Conditional Quantiles for Functional Data" on Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 3:30pm via zoom.
Zoom Link:
https://ucsb.zoom.us/j/89666373134?pwd=QDFxcXlKXuY9ZbtENGvLPomeVIB3np.1
Title:
Sufficient Dimension Reduction for Conditional Quantiles for Functional Data
Abstract:
Functional data analysis is an important research area with the potential to transform numerous fields. However, existing work predominantly relies on the more traditional mean regression methods, with surprisingly limited research focusing on quantile regression. Furthermore, the infinite dimensional nature of the functional predictors necessitates the use of dimension reduction techniques. Therefore, in this work, we address this gap by developing dimension reduction techniques for the conditional quantiles of functional data. We derive the convergence rates of the proposed estimators and demonstrate their finite sample performance using simulation examples and a real dataset from fMRI studies.
Bio:
Dr. Eliana Christou is an Associate Professor of Statistics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She earned her Ph.D. in Statistics from Penn State University, complementing her academic background with a strong foundation in music and piano performance. Her research focuses on functional data analysis, quantile regression, and sufficient dimension reduction, with applications in medicine and healthcare. These areas align with emerging advancements in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Her work was supported by the National Science Foundation’s LEAPS-MPS grant (Award #2213140, 2022–2025). Beyond research, Dr. Christou is deeply committed to teaching and mentorship, having advised over 20 students. In her free time, Dr. Christou enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and spending time with her family.