Research Program: Prevention & Etiology
Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health

jyuan@umn.edu
612-625-8056 — office

Dr. Yuan is a cancer epidemiologist. He received his M.D. in 1983 from the Shanghai Medical University, China, and Ph.D. in epidemiology in 1996 from the University of Southern California (USC). He was recruited to the Masonic Cancer Center in 2005 from the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.

Research Interests

Dr. Yuan's research interest is in the epidemiology of cancer with a focus on the role of dietary and other environmental exposures, genetic variations, and gene-environmental interaction in the etiology and prevention of cancer. The ultimate goal of his research is to develop cancer prevention strategies including chemopreventive agents against the development of cancer.

Selected Publications

Friborg JT, Yuan J-M, Wang R, Koh W-P, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Incense use and respiratory tract carcinomas: a prospective cohort study. Cancer 2008;113:1676-1684.

Wu AH, Ursin G, Koh W-P, Wang R, Yuan J-M, Khoo K-S, Yu MC. Green tea, soy, and mammographic density in Singapore Chinese women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008;17:3358-3365.

Shankar A, Koh W-P, Yuan J-M, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Sleep duration and coronary heart disease mortality among Chinese adults in Singapore: a population-based cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;168:1367-1373.

Shamliyan TA, MacDonald A, Shaukat A, Taylor BC, Yuan J-M, Johnson JR, Tacklind J, Rutks I, Kane RL, Wilt TJ. Antiviral therapy for adults with chronic hepatitis B: a systematic review for a national institutes of health consensus development conference. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:111-124.

Butler LM, Wang R, Koh W-P, Stern MC, Yuan J-M, Yu MC. Marine n-3 and saturated fatty acids in relation to risk of colorectal cancer in Singapore Chinese: a prospective study. Int J Cancer 2009;124:678-686.

Yuan J-M, Ambinder A, Fan Y, Gao Y-T, Yu MC, Groopman JD. Prospective evaluation of hepatitis B 1762T/1764A mutations on hepatocellular carcinoma development in Shanghai, China. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18:590-594.

Jiang X, Castelao JE, Groshen S, Cortessis VK, Shibata D, Conti DV, Yuan J-M, Pike MC, Gago-Dominguez M. Urinary tract infections and reduced risk of bladder cancer in Los Angeles. Br J Cancer 2009;100:834-839.

Taylor BC, Yuan J-M, Shamliyan TA, Shaukat A, Kane RL, Wilt TJ. Clinical Detection in Adults with Chronic Hepatitis B in Association with Patient and Viral Characteristics: A Systematic Review of Evidence. Hepatology 2009;49:S85-95.

Ognjanovic S, Yuan J-M, Chaptman A, Fan Y, Yu MC. Genetic polymorphisms in the cytokine genes and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in low-risk non-Asians of United States. Carcinogenesis 2009;30:758-762.

Yuan J-M, Koh WP, Murphy SE, Fan Y, Wang R, Carmella SG, Han S, Wickham K, Gao YT, Yu MC, Hecht SS. Urinary levels of tobacco-specific nitrosamine metabolites in relation to lung cancer development in two prospective cohorts of cigarette smokers. Cancer Res. 2009;69:2990-2995.

Moy KA, Yuan J-M, Chung F-L, Wang X-L, Van Den Berg D, Wang R, Gao Y-T, Yu MC. Isothiocyanates, glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk: a prospective study of men in Shanghai, China. Int J Cancer. 2009;125:2652-2659.

Peterson S, Yuan J-M, Koh W-P, Sun C-L, Wang R, Turesky RJ, Yu MC. Coffee intake and risk of colorectal cancer among Chinese in Singapore: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Nutr Cancer 2010;62:21-29.

Butler LM, Wu AH, Wang R, Koh W-P, Yuan J-M, Yu MC. A vegetable-fruit-soy dietary pattern patterns protects against breast cancer amongst postmenopausal Singapore Chinese. Am J Clin Nutr 2010; 91:1013-1019.

Inoue-Choi M, Yuan J-M, Yang CS, Van Den Berg D, Lee M-L, Gao Y-T, Yu MC. Modulating effect of COMT genotype on urinary metabolites of tea polyphenols in daily drinkers of green tea. Int J Molecular Epidemiol Genetics 2010;1:114-123.

Hecht SS, Seow S, Wang M, Wang R, Meng L, Koh W-P, Carmella SG, Chen M, Han S, Yu MC, Yuan J-M. Elevated levels of volatile organic carcinogen and toxicant biomarkers in Chinese women who regularly cook at home. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010;191185-1192.

Butler LM, Wong AS, Koh W-P, Wang R, Yuan J-M, Yu MC. Calcium intake increases risk of prostate cancer among Singapore Chinese. Cancer Res. 2010 [Epub ahead of print].

Koh W-P, Yuan J-M, Wang R, Lee Y-P, Lee B-L, Yu MC, Ong C-N. Plasma carotenoids and risk of acute myocardial infarc on in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Nutr Metab Cardiovascular Dis., in press.