Yin Cao, ScD, an associate professor in the Division of Public Health Sciences in the WashU Medicine Mary Culver Department of Surgery, has been named a 2026 Fellow of the 101st class of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The award is one of the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing exceptional scholarship and creativity.
A research member at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, Cao was among 223 honorees across 55 disciplines selected from nearly 5,000 applicants. She was recognized for her pioneering research at the intersection of epidemiology, biology and data science, and was one of only two fellows selected in data science.
Cao’s research program focuses on why cancers are rising among younger adults. Her research examines these cancers through a multidimensional lens that integrates epidemiologic and biological insights with the goal of identifying risk factors that contribute to cancer risk and tumor progression in younger patients. With support from the Guggenheim Fellowship, Cao will write a book examining why cancers are occurring earlier in life, with the goals of providing clear, evidence-based information to patients, families and communities and of highlighting prevention as an increasingly important priority for younger individuals.
Read more on the Siteman Cancer Center website.
