Yan Tong, PhD, PhD, MS, MSED

Dr. Yan Tong is an applied statistician and researcher in cancer prevention. She has a unique academic and professional background. She received a Ph.D. in Biostatistics from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin. Before joining the Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science as a faculty member, she was a biostatistician at Indiana University School of Medicine. She is also a member of the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Tong has broad interests in health research. With respect to biostatistical methodology, her research focuses on modeling the multidimensional impact of medications and/or environmental exposures on health outcomes. As for cancer prevention research, she focuses on the global epidemiology of human papillomavirus infection and strategies to enhance health equity in cervical cancer prevention among women living in underserved U.S. communities and low-and middle-income countries. Dr. Tong also leads the biostatics analytical cores serving the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Urology prostate cancer research.

Selected Recent Publications:

1. Tong Y, Tonui P, Orang'o O, Zhang J, Maina T, Muthoka K, Groopman J, Smith J, Madeen E, Ermel A, Loehrer P, Brown DR. Association of plasma aflatoxin with persistent detection of oncogenic human papillomaviruses in cervical samples from Kenyan women enrolled in a longitudinal study. BMC Infect Dis. 2023 Jun 6;23(1):377.
2. Tong Y, E. Orang’o, M. Nakalembe, P. Tonui, P. Itsura, K. Muthoka, M. Titus, S. Kiptoo, A. Mwangi, J. Ong’echa, R. Tonui, B. Odongo, C. Mpamani, B. Rosen, A. Moormann, S. Cu-Uvin, J. A. Bailey, C. I. Oduor, A. Ermel, C. Yiannoutsos, B. Musick, E. Sang, A. Ngeresa, G. Banturaki, A. Kiragga, J. Zhang, Y. Song, S. Chintala, R. Katzenellenbogen, P. Loehrer & D. R. Brown (2022) The East Africa Consortium for human papillomavirus and cervical cancer in women living with HIV/AIDS, Annals of Medicine, 54:1, 1202-1211.
3. Ermel A, Tong Y, Tonui P, Orang'o E, Muthoka K, Wong N, Manai T, Kiptoo S, Loehrer PJ, Brown D. Longer duration of anti-retroviral therapy is associated with decreased risk of human papillomavirus detection in Kenyan women living with HIV. Int J STD AIDS. 2021 Nov;32(13):1212-1220.
4. Tong Y, Tonui P, Ermel A, Orang'o O, Wong N, Titus M, Kiptoo S, Muthoka K, Loehrer PJ, Brown DR. Persistence of oncogenic and non-oncogenic human papillomavirus is associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection in Kenyan women. SAGE Open Med. 2020 Jul 28;8.
5. Tong Y, Ermel A, Tu W, Shew M, Brown D. Association of HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 DNA detection and serological response in unvaccinated adolescent women. J Med Virol. 2013 Oct;85(10):1786-93.
6. Orang'o O, Tonui P, Muthoka K, Kiptoo S, Maina T, Agosa M, Ermel A, Tong Y, Brown D. A community-based approach to cervical cancer prevention in western Kenya: An AMPATH feasibility project. SAGE Open Med. 2022 May 23;10.
7. Orang'o E, Emont J, Ermel A, Liu T, Omodi V, Tong Y, Itsura P, Tonui P, Maina T, Ong'echa J, Muthoka K, Kiptoo S, Moormann A, Hogan J, Loehrer P, Brown D, Cu-Uvin S. Detection of types of HPV among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected Kenyan women undergoing cryotherapy or loop electrosurgical excision procedure. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2020 Nov;151(2):279-286. doi: 10.1002/ijgo.13330. Epub 2020 Aug 18. PMID: 32715467; PMCID: PMC7541596.
8. Zhang J, Orang'o O, Tonui P, Tong Y, Maina T, Kiptoo S, Muthoka K, Groopman J, Smith J, Madeen E, Ermel A, Loehrer P, Brown DR. Detection and Concentration of Plasma Aflatoxin is Associated with Detection of Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus in Kenyan Women. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019 Sep 2;6(9):ofz354.
9. Ermel A, Shew ML, Imburgia TM, Brown M, Qadadri B, Tong Y, Brown DR. Redetection of human papillomavirus type 16 infections of the cervix in mid-adult life. Papillomavirus Res. 2018 Jun;5:75-79.
10. Tachibana I, Alabd A, Tong Y, Piroozi A, Mahmoud M, Kern SQ, Masterson TA, Adra N, Foster RS, Hanna NH, Einhorn LH, Cary C. Primary Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Stage II Seminoma: Is Surgery the New Path Forward? J Clin Oncol. 2023 Feb 2.
11. Black M, Slade A, Caras RJ, DeLeon GA, Large T, Shelton TM, Tong Y, Rivera M. Evaluation of Renal Function Recovery Following Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. J Endourol. 2023 May 22.
12. Tachibana I, Kern SQ, Douglawi A, Tong Y, Mahmoud M, Masterson TA, Adra N, Foster RS, Einhorn LH, Cary C. Primary Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for Patients With Pathologic Stage II Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumor-N1, N2, and N3 Disease: Is Adjuvant Chemotherapy Necessary? J Clin Oncol. 2022 Nov 10;40(32):3762-3769.
13. Litzelman DK, Butler DE, Iloabuchi T, Frank KI, Bo N, Tong Y, Garrison E, Roth S, Vannerson J. Combined interprofessional education and system intervention to improve screening older adults for dementia and falls. Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2023 Jan-Mar;44(1):75-87.
14. Pfeifle A, Glassburn S, Frank K, Fulton JS, Garrison E, Bo N, Tong Y, Litzelman D. Program evaluation of a new interprofessional geriatrics curriculum for advanced practice nursing and master of social work learners. J Interprof Care. 2023 Jan 4:1-11.

A complete list of Dr. Tong’s publications can be found at:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Yan+Tong%2C+Indiana+University