Yin Cao, ScD, MPH

Yin Cao, ScD, MPH

Primary Academic Title

Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences, WashU Medicine

Research Interest

Cao’s research aims to advance how we understand the emergence of cancer at younger ages, with a primary focus on colorectal and other gastrointestinal cancers. Her lab is committed to uncovering when, where, and how early-onset cancers begin, and how they can be intercepted. By constructing a multidimensional framework across exposures, tissue types, life stages, and populations, the lab investigates both external and internal drivers to uncover causal pathways of cancer risk and progression in younger individuals. Cao lab is deeply committed to advancing team science to address complex challenges in cancer and public health. She co-leads the Cancer Grand Challenges Team PROSPECT, Biobank and Big Data Core at the WashU Digestive Diseases Research Core Center, and WashU Transcend Initiative on Air Quality and Health.

Education

  • 2013: ScD, epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston
  • 2009: MPH, epidemiology, Columbia University, New York

Training

  • 2013 - 2015: Postdoctoral fellow, nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Selected Research Publications

Germline alterations in patients with lung cancer.
  • Govindan R, Navo K, Huang M, [...] Cao Y
  • Ann Oncol 2026
Approach Toward Early Detection and Prevention of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer.
  • Fritz CDL, George M, Carethers JM, Cao Y
  • Annu Rev Med 2026
Early-onset colorectal cancer as an emerging disease of metabolic dysregulation.
  • Du M, Drew DA, Goncalves MD, Cao Y , Chan AT
  • Nat Rev Endocrinol 2025
Germline genetic variation impacts clonal hematopoiesis landscape and progression to malignancy.
  • Liu J, Tran D, Xue L, [...] Cao Y, [...] Bolton KL
  • Nat Genet 2025
Integration of Germline and Somatic Variation Improves Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Risk Stratification.
  • Hubbard AK, Brown DW, Liu J, [...] Cao Y, [...] Machiela MJ
  • Cancer Res 2025
The diverse roles of the circadian clock in cancer.
  • Fortin BM, Mahieu AL, Fellows RC, [...] Cao Y, [...] Masri S
  • Nat Cancer 2025
Aspirin Use and Incidence of Colorectal Cancer According to Lifestyle Risk.
  • Sikavi DR, Wang K, Ma W, [...] Cao Y, [...] Chan AT
  • JAMA Oncol 2024
Plasma Proteomic Signature Predicts Myeloid Neoplasm Risk.
  • Tran D, Beeler JS, Liu J, [...] Cao Y, Bolton KL
  • Clin Cancer Res 2024
Being Breastfed in Infancy and Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Precursor Lesions.
  • Yuan C, Wang QL, Kim H, [...] Cao Y, [...] Ng K
  • Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024
Charting the path forward to combat gastrointestinal cancers.
  • Oduyale O, Cao Y
  • Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024
Body size and risk of colorectal cancer molecular defined subtypes and pathways: Mendelian randomization analyses.
  • Papadimitriou N, Qu C, Harrison TA, [...] Cao Y, [...] Murphy N
  • EBioMedicine 2024
Overcoming Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Rectal Cancer Treatment.
  • Fritz CDL, Oduyale O, Cao Y
  • JAMA Netw Open 2024

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