Yin Cao, ScD, MPH

Primary Academic Title

Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine

Research Interest

Dr. Cao’s research group specializes in systems and translational cancer epidemiology with an overarching goal to develop precision-based cancer prevention/control strategies. Our current projects incorporate novel high-throughput technologies (genomics, microbiome, proteomics, accelerometers) into large-scale collaborative population-based/clinical studies to address provocative questions in gastrointestinal cancer prevention, including but not limited to the etiology of sporadic cancers among younger adults, the biological basis for cancer disparity, and the role of host-microbial interactions in carcinogenesis. Dr. Cao holds secondary appointment in the Division of Gastroenterology in the Department of Medicine.

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

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

Colorectal cancer incidence trends in younger versus older adults: an analysis of population-based cancer registry data.

Sung H, Siegel RL, Laversanne M, [...] Cao Y, [...] Jemal A
Lancet Oncol 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

Red Flag Signs and Symptoms for Patients With Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Demb J, Kolb JM, Dounel J, [...] Cao Y, [...] Gupta S
JAMA Netw Open 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

Alcohol Drinking Without Meals Is Associated With Risk of Gastrointestinal Cancers, Including Early-Onset Cases.

Shi M, Ahmedin NJ, Zong X, [...] Cao Y
Gastroenterology 2024

Trends and cancer-specific patterns of physical activity, sleep duration, and daily sitting time among US cancer survivors, 1997-2018.

Cao C, Patel AV, Liu R, Cao Y, [...] Yang L
J Natl Cancer Inst 2023

Moderate alcohol consumption, types of beverages and drinking pattern with cardiometabolic biomarkers in three cohorts of US men and women.

Li X, Hur J, Cao Y, [...] Giovannucci EL
Eur J Epidemiol 2023

Red-flag signs and symptoms for earlier diagnosis of early-onset colorectal cancer.

Fritz CDL, Otegbeye EE, Zong X, [...] Cao Y
J Natl Cancer Inst 2023

Alcohol Consumption Among Adults With a Cancer Diagnosis in the All of Us Research Program.

Shi M, Luo C, Oduyale OK, [...] Cao Y
JAMA Netw Open 2023

Sleep Behaviors, Genetic Predispositions, and Risk of Esophageal Cancer.

Wang X, Tian R, Zong X, [...] Cao Y
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023

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