Mimi C. Yu, PhD

Dr. Mimi C. Yu is a cancer epidemiologist and the McKnight Presidential Professor at the Cancer Center. Prior to joining the University of Minnesota in July 2005, she was Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, a position she held between 1991-2005.  Dr. Yu received her B.Sc. degree in Mathematics from the University of Toronto, Canada in 1973, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1974 and 1977, respectively. 

Dr. Yu’s research has focused on identifying lifestyle/environmental causes of cancer and how genetic factors modify the level of risk in exposed individuals.  She has conducted extensive studies on diet and cancer, viral hepatitis and other risk factors in liver cancer, analgesics and other risk factors in kidney cancer, and exposure to arylamines in bladder cancer.  Her current interest centers on the identification of cancer-protective factors in the human diet.  

Dr. Yu was the recipient of an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute in 1992.  In 2004, she received a DCEG Special Recognition Award from the National Cancer Institute.  She served three terms on the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Counselors.  She is an Associate Editor of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.  She has published over 200 research articles.  

Selected Publications 

Koh W-P, Yuan J-M, Sun C-L, Van Den Berg D, Seow A, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism and breast cancer risk among Chinese women in Singapore. Cancer Res 63:573-578, 2003. 

Gago-Dominguez M, Bell DA, Watson MA, Yuan J-M, Castelao JE, Hein DW, Chan KK, Coetzee GA, Ross RK, Yu MC. Permanent hair dyes and bladder cancer: risk modification by cytochrome P4501A2 and N-acetyltransferases 1 and 2. Carcinogenesis 24:483-489, 2003. 

Skipper PL, Tannenbaum SR, Ross RK, Yu MC. Nonsmoking-related arylamine exposure and bladder cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 12:503-507, 2003. 

Yuan J-M, Stram DO, Arakawa K, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Dietary cryptoxanthin and reduced risk of lung cancer: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 12:890-898, 2003. 

Probst-Hensch NM, Wang H, Goh VH, Seow A, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Determinants of circulating insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 concentrations in a cohort of Singapore men and women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 12:739-746, 2003. 

Gago-Dominguez M, Yuan J-M, Sun C-L, Seow A, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Opposing effects of dietary n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on mammary carcinogenesis: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Br J Cancer 89:1686-1692, 2003. 

Wu AH, Tseng C-C, Van Den Berg D, Yu MC. Tea intake, COMT genotype and breast cancer in Asian-American women. Cancer Res 63:7526-7529, 2003.

Castelao JE, Yuan J-M, Gago-Dominguez M, Skipper PL, Tannenbaum SR, Chan KK, Watson MA, Bell DA, Coetzee GA, Ross RK, Yu MC. Carotenoids/vitamin C and smoking-related bladder cancer. Int J Cancer 110:417-423, 2004. 

Hecht SS, Carmella SG, Kenney PM, Low SH, Arakawa K, Yu MC.Effects of cruciferous vegetable consumption on urinary metabolites of the tobacco-specific lung carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in Singapore Chinese. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:997-1004, 2004. 

Koh W-P, Yuan J-M, Van Den Berg D, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Interaction between cyclooxygenase-2 gene polymorphism and dietary n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on colon cancer risk: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Br J Cancer 90:1760-1764, 2004. 

Yuan J-M, Govindarajan S, Arakawa K, Yu MC. Synergism of alcohol, diabetes, and viral hepatitis on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in blacks and whites in the US. Cancer 101:1009-1017, 2004. 

Gago-Dominguez M, Castelao JE, Sun C-L, Van Den Berg D, Koh W-P, Lee H?P, Yu MC. Marine n-3 fatty acid intake, glutathione S-transferase polymorphisms and breast cancer risk in post-menopausal Chinese women in Singapore. Carcinogenesis 25:2143-2147, 2004.

Yu MC, Yuan J-M. Environmental factors and risk for hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology 127:S72-S78, 2004. 

Yuan J-M, Ross RK, Gao Y-T, Qu Y-H, Chu X-D, Yu MC. Prediagnostic levels of serum micronutrients in relation to risk of gastric cancer in Shanghai, China. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:1772-1780, 2004. 

Nieters A, Yuan J-M, Sun C-L, Zhang Z-Q, Stoehlmacher J, Govindarajan S, Yu MC. Effect of cytokine genotypes on the hepatitis B virus-hepatocellular carcinoma association. Cancer 103:740-748, 2005.

Koh W-P, Yuan J-M, Van Den Berg D, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Polymorphisms in angiotensin II type 1 receptor and angiotensin I-converting enzyme genes and breast cancer risk among Chinese women in Singapore. Carcinogenesis 26:459-464, 2005.

Wu AH, Arakawa K, Stanczyk FZ, Van Den Berg D, Koh WP, Yu MC. Tea and circulating estrogen levels in postmenopausal Chinese women in Singapore. Carcinogenesis 26:976-980, 2005.

Yuan J-M, Koh W-P, Sun C-L, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Green tea intake, ACE gene polymorphism and breast cancer risk among Chinese women in Singapore. Carcinogenesis 26:1389-1394, 2005.

Cheng I, Yu MC, Koh W-P, Pike MC, Kolonel LN, Henderson BE, Stram DO. Comparison of prostate-specific antigen and hormone levels among men in Singapore and the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 14:1692-1696, 2005.

Kimbi GC, Kew MC, Yu MC, Arakawa K, Hodkinson J. 249^Ser p53 mutation in the serum of black southern African patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 20:1185-1190, 2005.

Sarter B, Long TI, Tsong WH, Koh W-P, Yu MC, Laird PW. Sex differential in methylation patterns of selected genes in Singapore Chinese. Hum Genet 117:402-403, 2005.

Ceschi M, Sun C-L, Van Den Berg D, Koh W-P, Yu MC, Probst-Hensch N. The effect of cyclin D1 (CCND1) G870A-polymorphism on breast cancer risk is modified by oxidative stress among Chinese women in Singapore. Carcinogenesis 26:1457-1464, 2005.

Koh W-P, Yuan J-M, Sun C-L, Lee H-P, Yu MC.  Middle-aged and older Chinese men and women in Singapore who smoke have less healthy diets and lifestyles than nonsmokers. J Nutr 135:2473-2477, 2005.

Ross RK, Yu MC, Yuan J-M.  Chapter 18. The epidemiology of bladder cancer.  In:  Comprehensive Textbook of Genitourinary Oncology, Third Edition.  Vogelzang NJ, Scardino PT, Shipley WU, Debruyne FMJ, Linehan WM (eds), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA, pp. 357-363, 2006.

Shankar A, Wang JJ, Rochtchina E, Yu MC, Kefford R, Mitchell P. Association between circulating white blood cell count and cancer mortality: A population-based cohort study. Arch Intern Med 166:188-194, 2006.

Seow A, Yuan J-M, Koh W-P, Lee H-P, Yu MC. Diabetes mellitus and risk of colorectal cancer in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 98:135-138, 2006.

Wu AH, Yu MC.  Tea, hormone-related cancers and endogenous hormone levels.  Mol Nutr Food Res 50:160-169, 2006.

Yuan J-M, Gao Y-T, Ong C-N, Ross RK, Yu MC. Prediagnostic level of serum retinol in relation to reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.  J Natl Cancer Inst 98:482-490, 2006.

Butler LM, Koh W-P, Lee H-P, Tseng M, Yu MC, London SJ. Prospective study of dietary patterns and persistent cough with phlegm among Chinese Singaporeans. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173:264-270, 2006.

Butler LM, London SJ, Yu MC, Tseng M, Koh W-P, Lee H-P. On the usage of principal components analysis and multiple testing.  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 173:574-575, 2006 (Letter).

Yuan J-M, Gao Y-T, Yang CS, Yu MC. Urinary biomarkers of tea polyphenols and risk of colorectal cancer in the Shanghai Cohort Study. Int J Cancer 120:1344-1350, 2007.

Zayas B, Stillwell SW, Wishnok JS, Trudel LJ, Skipper P, Yu MC, Tannenbaum SR, Wogan GN. Detection and quantification of 4-ABP adducts in DNA from bladder cancer patients. Carcinogenesis 28:342-349, 2007.

Tsong WH, Koh W-P, Yuan J-M, Wang R, Sun C-L, Yu MC. Cigarettes and alcohol in relation to colorectal cancer: The Singapore Chinese Health Study. Br J Cancer 96:821-827, 2007.