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Prof. Joey Zuyao YANG
楊祖耀教授

Prof. Joey Zuyao YANG
BMedSc (PKU), MMedSc (PKU), PhD (CUHK)
Assistant Professor
zyang@cuhk.edu.hk

Research Links

ORCID: 0000-0003-2386-2431
Google Scholar Citations: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=zh-CN&user=Wl1GEs4AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate

Academic Appointments

 

Bio

Professor Yang received his Bachelor degree in Preventive Medicine and Master’s degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Peking University and PhD in Public Health from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. An epidemiologist by training, Professor Yang is dedicated to leveraging his methodological expertise in population health studies to generate and appraise evidence that is directly relevant to decision-making. His research interests lie in evidence-based healthcare for infectious and, particularly, non-communicable chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia). Through extensive collaboration with various institutions, Professor Yang has authored over 110 publications, which have been cited by multiple international guidelines to support their recommendations, impacting both healthcare practice and methodological standards of the research community.

Research Interest

  • Theme 1: Critical appraisal and synthesis of evidence to draw robust conclusions
  • Theme 2: Generation of original data to address evidence gaps identified through critical appraisal
  • Theme 3: Development of strategies to mitigate over-diagnosis and over-treatment, as revealed by scrutinizing the evidence underpinning practice guidelines

Recent Funded Research Projects

  • Towards evidence-based healthy aging: a longitudinal study on the benefits and harms of lipid-lowering drugs for preventing cardiovascular disease in people aged ≥75 years. Research Grant Council General Research Fund 2025/26.
  • Management of COVID-19 in the post-COVID-19 era: optimizing vaccination strategy for the most vulnerable people. Research Grant Council General Research Fund 2024/25.
  • How does use of placebo controls influence the estimate of treatment effects in randomised clinical trials of Traditional Chinese Medicine? A meta-epidemiological study. Chinese Medicine Development Fund 2025.
  • Comparing the efficacy of different therapies for rehabilitation of pneumoconiosis in Chinese patients: a comprehensive network meta-analysis of evidence. Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board Research Fund 2023/24.

Selected Publications

Theme 1: Critical appraisal and synthesis of evidence to draw robust conclusions

  1. Feng Q, Zhou A, Zou H, Ingle S, May MT, Cai W, Cheng CY, Yang Z* (corresponding author), Tang J. Quadruple versus triple combination antiretroviral therapies for treatment naive people with HIV: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Medical Journal. 2019;366:I4179.
  2. Yang Z, Jiang Y, Li F, Liu D, Lin TF, Zhao ZY, Wei C, Jin Q, Li X, Jia Y, Zhu F, Yang Z* (corresponding author), Sha F, Feng Z, Tang JL. Efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the dose-response relationship with three major antibodies: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Lancet Microbe. 2023;4(4):e236-e246.
  3. Yang Z*, Scott CA, Mao C, Tang J, Farmer AJ. Resistance exercise versus aerobic exercise for type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. 2014;44(4):487-99.
  4. Yang Z*, Hackshaw A, Feng Q, Fu X, Zhang Y, Mao C, Tang J. Comparison of gefitinib, erlotinib and afatinib in non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Cancer. 2017;140(12):2805-19.
  5. Zhang Y, Threapleton D, Shi H, Yuan J, Di M, Yu Y, Yang Z*(corresponding author), Tang J. Effect of anti-diabetic drugs in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes and prediabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. The Innovation Medicine. 2024;2(4):100096.

Theme 2: Generation of original data to address evidence gaps identified through critical appraisal

  1. Wang S, Yang Z, Tian L, Sha F, Tang J, Yang Z* (corresponding author). Remission to normal blood pressure in older adults with hypertension who did not receive antihypertensive medication: analysis of data from two longitudinal cohorts. eClinicalMedicine. 2024;73:102678.
  2. Yang Z*, Huang Y, Wang S, Zheng W, Xiao Y, Zhang J. Lipid-lowering drug treatment and mortality among individuals ≥75 years without cardiovascular disease: a population-based cohort study. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2025 Aug 29:zwaf515.
  3. Zhang J, Zheng W, Wang S, Gao X, Xiao Y, Yang Z* (corresponding author). Associations of three diagnostic glycemic measures with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in people not on antidiabetic medications: a prospective cohort study. Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications. 2025;39(3):108970.
  4. Zhang J, Wang S, Huang Y, Zheng W, Xiao Y, Yang Z* (corresponding author). Association of screenings for hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: evidence from a cohort s Journal of Clinical Hypertension. 2025;27(5):e70053.
  5. Ma S, Zhang J, Zeng M, Yun Q, Guo W, Zheng Y, Zhao S, Wang MH, Yang Z*(corresponding author). Epidemiological parameters of COVID-19: case series s Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2020;22(10):e19994.

Theme 3: Development of strategies to mitigate over-diagnosis and over-treatment

  1. Yang Z*, Tang J. Definitions of chronic disease need to be more patient centred. British Medical Journal 2024;387:q1858.
  2. Xue X, Li J, Zheng W, Zhang B, Wang S, Zhang J, Yang Z*(corresponding author). Contributions of 2-hour post-load glucose, fasting blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin elevations to the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in adults: a systematic analysis of global data. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2025;27(12):7285-7298.
  3. Wang S, Ji Y, Ren M, Li J, Yang Z* (corresponding author). Estimating the proportion of overdiagnosis among prostate, breast, and thyroid cancers in China: findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2019. Current Oncology. 2024;31(9):5643-51.
  4. Wang S, Yang Z, Sha F, Qi X, He Z, Szeto CH, Yang Z* (corresponding author), Tang J. Prevalence of incidental colorectal cancer and polyps in autopsies of different populations: a systematic review with meta-regression analysis. European Journal of Epidemiology. 2023;38(9):939-955.
  5. Hu XF, Han XR, Yang ZY*, Hu YH, Tang JL. The impact of broadened diagnostic criteria on the prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes mellitus in China. Chin J Prev Med. 2017;51:369-377.