Herbert Yu, MD, PhD
Professor AdjunctAbout
Titles
Professor Adjunct
Professor Adjunct, Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Biography
Dr. Yu is adjunct professor at Yale School of Public Health, Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, and a molecular epidemiologist with training in medicine, epidemiology, and clinical biochemistry. Dr. Yu has been involved in cancer research for over 20 years, and has had extensive experience in population-based epidemiologic investigation and patient-based clinical studies. Dr. Yu has conducted numerous epidemiologic and clinical research projects, addressing various issues in cancer research, from etiology to detection, and prognosis to treatment. Dr. Yu is especially experienced in laboratory-based molecular epidemiologic studies, and his research interests include gene-environment interaction in cancer development and progression and lifestyle's impact on epigenetic regulation. Dr. Yu has served on numerous national and international grant review committees, and has been involved in the design, execution and analysis of many epidemiological and clinical studies.
Appointments
Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Professor AdjunctPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- PhD
- University of Toronto (1996)
- MSc
- University of Toronto (1990)
- MD
- Shanghai Medical University (1983)
Research
Overview
- Role of Genetic and Lifestyle Interplay in Uterus Cancer
- Molecular Characterization of the Insulin-like Growth Factor System in Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer and its Association with Tumor Progression
- Case-control Study of Pancreatic Cancer Etiologic Factors
- DNA Methylation in Cancer Risk and Progression
- Case-control study of Liver Cancer
- GWAS on Endometrial Cancer
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
ORCID
0000-0003-3950-4815
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Harvey Risch, MD, PhD
Lingeng Lu, MD, PhD
Alessandro Santin, MD
Melinda Irwin, PhD, MPH
Pei Hui, PhD, MD
Beth Anne Jones, PhD, MPH
Breast Neoplasms
Ovarian Neoplasms
Neoplasms
Liver Neoplasms
Publications
2024
Aldehydes alter TGF-β signaling and induce obesity and cancer
Yang X, Bhowmick K, Rao S, Xiang X, Ohshiro K, Amdur R, Hassan M, Mohammad T, Crandall K, Cifani P, Shetty K, Lyons S, Merrill J, Vegesna A, John S, Latham P, Crawford J, Mishra B, Dasarathy S, Wang X, Yu H, Wang Z, Huang H, Krainer A, Mishra L. Aldehydes alter TGF-β signaling and induce obesity and cancer. Cell Reports 2024, 43: 114676. PMID: 39217614, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114676.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricSu1127 MYOSTATIN CONTRIBUTES TO ALTERATIONS IN METABOLIC PATHWAYS AND MUSCLE ATROPHY IN MASH AND HCC AND IS A PROMISING BIOMARKER WITH METABOLIC MARKER PKM2 FOR RISK STRATIFICATION OF HCC
Bhowmick K, Xiang X, Ohshiro K, Amdur R, Yang X, Wong L, Shetty K, Latham P, Lau L, Crandall K, Cifani P, Cacaj F, Mishra B, Dasarathy S, Wang X, Yu H, Wang Z, Krainer A, Satapathy S, Crawford J, Mishra L. Su1127 MYOSTATIN CONTRIBUTES TO ALTERATIONS IN METABOLIC PATHWAYS AND MUSCLE ATROPHY IN MASH AND HCC AND IS A PROMISING BIOMARKER WITH METABOLIC MARKER PKM2 FOR RISK STRATIFICATION OF HCC. Gastroenterology 2024, 166: s-666. DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(24)01982-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDetection of hepatocellular carcinoma methylation markers in salivary DNA
Mezzacappa C, Wang Z, Lu L, Risch H, Taddei T, Yu H. Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma methylation markers in salivary DNA. Bioscience Reports 2024, 44: bsr20232063. PMID: 38457142, PMCID: PMC10958141, DOI: 10.1042/bsr20232063.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHepatocellular carcinoma screeningCase patientsHepatocellular carcinomaControl subjectsDiagnosis of hepatocellular carcinomaAssociated with hepatocellular carcinomaScreening testSalivary DNASaliva-based testCpG sitesStudy of risk factorsSalivary DNA methylationDNA methylationViral hepatitisCirculating DNAAlterations to DNA methylationRisk factorsMethylation markersPatientsRegulation of cell cycle progressionBlood samplesCell cycle progressionAffected individualsAlternative to blood samplingMultiple comparisonsMechanistically based blood proteomic markers in the TGF-β pathway stratify risk of hepatocellular cancer in patients with cirrhosis.
Xiang X, Bhowmick K, Shetty K, Ohshiro K, Yang X, Wong L, Yu H, Latham P, Satapathy S, Brennan C, Dima R, Chambwe N, Sharifova G, Cacaj F, John S, Crawford J, Huang H, Dasarathy S, Krainer A, He A, Amdur R, Mishra L. Mechanistically based blood proteomic markers in the TGF-β pathway stratify risk of hepatocellular cancer in patients with cirrhosis. Genes & Cancer 2024, 15: 1-14. PMID: 38323119, PMCID: PMC10843195, DOI: 10.18632/genesandcancer.234.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsHepatocellular carcinomaPyruvate kinase M2TGF-bPresence of hepatocellular carcinomaEarly detection of HCCRisk of hepatocellular cancerDetection of hepatocellular carcinomaAdvanced incurable stageRisk-stratifying biomarkersTGF-B pathwayAssociated with hepatocellular carcinomaProteomic markersEarly detectionBiologically relevant markersIncurable stageBlood-based biomarkersHepatocellular cancerRisk stratificationStratify riskNon-HCCClinical variablesBlood levelsLiver diseaseAnimal modelsBiological role
2023
Machine learning-based cluster analysis of immune cell subtypes and breast cancer survival
Wang Z, Katsaros D, Wang J, Biglio N, Hernandez B, Fei P, Lu L, Risch H, Yu H. Machine learning-based cluster analysis of immune cell subtypes and breast cancer survival. Scientific Reports 2023, 13: 18962. PMID: 37923775, PMCID: PMC10624674, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45932-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsImmune cell clustersT cellsHost immunityImmune cellsUnsupervised hierarchical clusteringImmune responseCD8-positive T cellsMemory CD4 T cellsCox regression survival analysisRegulatory T cellsPositive T cellsCD4 T cellsDifferent immune cellsDistinct immune responsesBreast cancer survivalImmune cell subtypesMemory B cellsImmune cell typesRegression survival analysisCell clustersBreast cancer progressionT cell receptor signalingCytokine stormOverall survivalFavorable survivalHula as a physical activity and social support intervention for sustained activity in female breast and gynecologic cancer survivors
Bantum E, Yamada P, Makolo T, Yu H, Pagano I, Subia N, Walsh C, Loo L. Hula as a physical activity and social support intervention for sustained activity in female breast and gynecologic cancer survivors. Frontiers In Psychology 2023, 14: 1190532. PMID: 37941759, PMCID: PMC10629222, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1190532.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsPhysical activityCancer survivorsMaintenance of physical activityPhysical activity improves healthPre-and post-interventionQuality of life of cancer survivorsGynecologic cancer survivorsBenefits of social supportModerate physical activitySocial support interventionsSustained physical activityLife of cancer survivorsRandomized wait-listSupport interventionsPost-interventionIntervention groupNational Cancer InstituteWaist circumferencePsychosocial dataSupport groupsSocial supportNative HawaiiansPsychosocial functioningFemale breastImprove enjoymentElucidating the role of blood metabolites on pancreatic cancer risk using two‐sample Mendelian randomization analysis
Zhong H, Liu S, Zhu J, Xu T, Yu H, Wu L. Elucidating the role of blood metabolites on pancreatic cancer risk using two‐sample Mendelian randomization analysis. International Journal Of Cancer 2023, 154: 852-862. PMID: 37860916, PMCID: PMC10843029, DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34771.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaPDAC riskBlood metabolitesGenetic instrumentsTwo-sample Mendelian randomization studyPancreatic Cancer Case-Control ConsortiumEPIC-Norfolk cohortPancreatic cancer riskEuropean ancestryPancreatic Cancer Cohort ConsortiumPotential side effectsCanadian Longitudinal StudyAssociations of metabolitesMendelian randomization studyTwo-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysisGenome-wide association studiesMendelian randomization analysisFatal malignancyDuctal adenocarcinomaCancer riskPDAC casesSide effectsAging CohortMetabolite biomarkersRandomization studyNight shift work, sleep duration and endometrial cancer risk: A pooled analysis from the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2)
Frias-Gomez J, Alemany L, Benavente Y, Clarke M, de Francisco J, De Vivo I, Du M, Goodman M, Lacey J, Liao L, Lipworth L, Lu L, Merritt M, Michels K, O'Connell K, Paytubi S, Pelegrina B, Peremiquel-Trillas P, Petruzella S, Ponce J, Risch H, Setiawan V, Schouten L, Shu X, Trabert B, Van den Brandt P, Wentzensen N, Wilkens L, Yu H, Costas L. Night shift work, sleep duration and endometrial cancer risk: A pooled analysis from the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium (E2C2). Sleep Medicine Reviews 2023, 72: 101848. PMID: 37716022, PMCID: PMC10840870, DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101848.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsNight shift workEndometrial Cancer ConsortiumEndometrial cancer riskEndometrial cancerSleep durationShift workPostmenopausal womenPooled analysisInverse associationOdds ratioCancer riskCancer ConsortiumNon-significant inverse associationStudy-specific odds ratiosEndometrial cancer casesStrong risk factorConfidence intervalsLong sleep durationDaily sleep durationObese womenRisk factorsCancer casesLogistic regressionIndividual dataCancerIdentification of blood protein biomarkers associated with prostate cancer risk using genetic prediction models: analysis of over 140,000 subjects
Zhong H, Zhu J, Liu S, Ghoneim D, Surendran P, Liu T, Fahle S, Butterworth A, Alam A, Deng H, Yu H, Wu C, Wu L. Identification of blood protein biomarkers associated with prostate cancer risk using genetic prediction models: analysis of over 140,000 subjects. Human Molecular Genetics 2023, 32: 3181-3193. PMID: 37622920, PMCID: PMC10630250, DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad139.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPCa riskProstate cancerHuge public health burdenEtiology of PCaBlood protein biomarkersConventional epidemiologic studiesProstate cancer riskPublic health burdenConventional observational studiesCancer Genome AtlasPCa patientsHealth burdenProtein biomarker candidatesObservational studyEpidemiologic studiesCancer riskTherapeutic strategiesCancer-related pathwaysSignificant associationBiomarker candidatesGenome AtlasProtein levelsDrug repurposingRiskPositive associationGenetic Susceptibility to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Risk for Pancreatic Cancer: Mendelian Randomization.
King S, Veliginti S, Brouwers M, Ren Z, Zheng W, Setiawan V, Wilkens L, Shu X, Arslan A, Beane Freeman L, Bracci P, Canzian F, Du M, Gallinger S, Giles G, Goodman P, Haiman C, Kogevinas M, Kooperberg C, LeMarchand L, Neale R, Visvanathan K, White E, Albanes D, Andreotti G, Babic A, Berndt S, Brais L, Brennan P, Buring J, Rabe K, Bamlet W, Chanock S, Fuchs C, Gaziano J, Giovannucci E, Hackert T, Hassan M, Katzke V, Kurtz R, Lee I, Malats N, Murphy N, Oberg A, Orlow I, Porta M, Real F, Rothman N, Sesso H, Silverman D, Thompson I, Wactawski-Wende J, Wang X, Wentzensen N, Yu H, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Yu K, Wolpin B, Duell E, Li D, Hung R, Perdomo S, McCullough M, Freedman N, Patel A, Peters U, Riboli E, Sund M, Tjønneland A, Zhong J, Van Den Eeden S, Kraft P, Risch H, Amundadottir L, Klein A, Stolzenberg-Solomon R, Antwi S. Genetic Susceptibility to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Risk for Pancreatic Cancer: Mendelian Randomization. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2023, 32: 1265-1269. PMID: 37351909, PMCID: PMC10529823, DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-23-0453.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsNonalcoholic fatty liver diseasePancreatic cancer riskFatty liver diseasePancreatic cancerCancer riskLiver diseaseGenetic predispositionMendelian randomizationPancreatic Cancer Case-Control ConsortiumConfidence intervalsPancreatic Cancer Cohort ConsortiumPC risk factorsMR methodsRisk factorsGenome-wide association studiesGenetic susceptibilityLogistic regressionCancerMetabolic perturbationsMetabolic conditionsRiskDiseaseGenetic variantsAssociationPredisposition
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
honor Wang Fellowship for International Study of Public Health, American Health Foundation
UnknownDetailsUnited Stateshonor Young Investigator Award, American Association for Clinical Chemistry
UnknownDetailsUnited Stateshonor Mitchell Scholarship in Cancer Research, University of Toronto Young Investigator Award, Louisiana State University Medical Center
UnknownDetailsUnited Stateshonor International Scholar Award Host in Breast Cancer Research, Avon Foundation and American Association for Cancer Research
UnknownDetailsUnited States
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Chronic Disease Epidemiology
PO Box 208034, 60 College Street
New Haven, CT 06520-8034
United States
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New Haven, CT 06510