Polina Arsenteva (ENS Lyon), Kernel-based testing for single-cell omics

mercredi 16 sept. 2026, 10:30 → 11:30 Europe/Paris

Abstract : Single-cell data yield profound insight into the complex nature of molecular feature distributions. However, they also pose statistical analysis challenges. A key challenge is the intricate geometry of these distributions, which requires non-linear analysis methods. We propose a kernel-based framework for comparing conditions in single-cell experiments that allows non-linear comparisons of different cell populations. In this presentation, I will explain how embedding the data in an infinite-dimensional reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) facilitates non-linear operations on the data via linear operations in the feature space. I will present a linear model in the RKHS and introduce a truncated kernel Hotelling-Lawley statistic with an associated kernel trick. This statistic has been shown to have an asymptotic chi-squared distribution, which allows to quantify the significance of the test results. The functionality and flexibility of the proposed approach will be demonstrated on scRNA-Seq pancreatic cancer data, with a goal of comparing tumor and healthy tissues on cellular level..