Yang, Lin

Preventive Oncology

Adjunct Associate Professor

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Biography

Dr. Yang is a prevention science researcher focused on developing effective, scalable intervention for cancer prevention and control. Her work emphasizes stratification as a central principle of prevention science, moving beyond risk-based models to understand who is most likely to benefit from specific interventions.

Using a transdisciplinary approach, her research program integrates epidemiology, behavioural science, and biological measurement to examine how modern lifestyle factors influence cancer risk and survivorship outcomes. Her program leverages advanced methodologies, including novel biomarker assessment, 24-hour activity monitoring of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep, as well as participatory research approches, to identify modifiable dimensions of daily behaviours and their impact on health.

Dr. Yang collaborates closely with clinical and healthcare teams to design and integrate evidence-based lifestyle interventions across the cancer continuum, including primary prevention, prehabilitation and survivorship.

Area of Focus

Prevention science

Summary of Research

  1. Harper A, Friedenriech CM, Khan M, Brenner D, Lynch B, Yang L. Prospective association between changes in physical activity and subsequent cancer risk, findings from the UK Biobank study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025 Jun 16 [Epub ahead of print]
  2. Yang L, Courneya KS, Friedenreich CM. The physical activity and cancer control (PACC) framework: update on the evidence, guidelines, and future research priorities. British Journal of Cancer 2024 June 27 [Epub ahead of print]
  3. Yang L, Friedenreich CM, From evidence to implementation of lifestyle behaviour in cancer prevention and control: a Preventive Medicine Golden Jubilee Commentary. Preventive Medicine 2023 Jan;166:107342. Epub 2022 Nov 8.
  4. Yang L, Shewchuk B, Shang C, Lee JA, Gehlert S. Transdisciplinary team science in health research, where are we? Journal of Integrated Design and Process Science 2022 Oct 13;26(3-4):307-316. Epub 2022 Oct 12.
  5. Cao C, Friedenreich CM, Yang L. Association of daily sitting time and leisure-time physical activity with survival among US cancer survivors. JAMA Oncology 2022;8(3):395-403. Epub 2022 Jan 6.
  6. Yang L, Cao C, Kantor ED, Nguyen LH, Zheng X, Park Y, Giovannucci EL, Matthews CE, Colditz GA, Cao Y. Trends in Sedentary Behavior Among the US Population, 2001-2016. JAMA 2019 Apr 23;321(16):1587-1597

Area Of Focus

Prevention science

Summary Of Research

  1. Harper A, Friedenriech CM, Khan M, Brenner D, Lynch B, Yang L. Prospective association between changes in physical activity and subsequent cancer risk, findings from the UK Biobank study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025 Jun 16 [Epub ahead of print]
  2. Yang L, Courneya KS, Friedenreich CM. The physical activity and cancer control (PACC) framework: update on the evidence, guidelines, and future research priorities. British Journal of Cancer 2024 June 27 [Epub ahead of print]
  3. Yang L, Friedenreich CM, From evidence to implementation of lifestyle behaviour in cancer prevention and control: a Preventive Medicine Golden Jubilee Commentary. Preventive Medicine 2023 Jan;166:107342. Epub 2022 Nov 8.
  4. Yang L, Shewchuk B, Shang C, Lee JA, Gehlert S. Transdisciplinary team science in health research, where are we? Journal of Integrated Design and Process Science 2022 Oct 13;26(3-4):307-316. Epub 2022 Oct 12.
  5. Cao C, Friedenreich CM, Yang L. Association of daily sitting time and leisure-time physical activity with survival among US cancer survivors. JAMA Oncology 2022;8(3):395-403. Epub 2022 Jan 6.
  6. Yang L, Cao C, Kantor ED, Nguyen LH, Zheng X, Park Y, Giovannucci EL, Matthews CE, Colditz GA, Cao Y. Trends in Sedentary Behavior Among the US Population, 2001-2016. JAMA 2019 Apr 23;321(16):1587-1597