Longgang Zhao, PhD
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Postdoctoral Associate
Biography
I'm currently a postdoctoral research associate at the Yale School of Nursing with expertise in nutritional and molecular epidemiology. My research focuses on how diet, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction contribute to liver cancer and chronic liver disease. I also apply large-scale cohort data and multi-omics approaches—particularly proteomics and metabolomics—to identify early biomarkers and advance precision prevention. I have authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications, including first-author papers in leading journals such as JAMA, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and Journal of Hepatology. My work has been recognized through national awards and invited presentations at major scientific conferences, such as ASN, SER, and AASLD.
Last Updated on August 08, 2025.
Appointments
School of Nursing
Postdoctoral AssociatePrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- School of Nursing
- Yale School of Nursing
Education & Training
- Research fellows
- Harvard Medical School (2025)
- PhD
- University of South Carolina, Epidemiology
- MS
- Fudan University, Shanghai Cancer Institute
Research
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Overview
I am a molecular epidemiologist with specialized training in nutrition and chronic disease epidemiology. My research is centered on the impact of dietary patterns, nutrition, and related biomarkers on the development and progression of chronic noncommunicable diseases, particularly liver cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Throughout my doctoral and postdoctoral training at the University of South Carolina, Harvard Medical School, and Yale University, I have conducted extensive research utilizing large cohort datasets to identify dietary risk factors and their mechanistic pathways in chronic disease etiology. My work has been recognized through several awards, including the Emerging Leaders in Nutrition Science Poster Competition Award from the American Society for Nutrition. I am committed to advancing our understanding of diet-disease relationships to inform public health strategies and interventions aimed at reducing chronic disease burden.
Public Health Interests
Biomarkers; Cancer; Chronic Diseases; Global Health; Metabolomics; Non-Communicable Diseases; Nutrition; Obesity; PFAS
ORCID
0000-0001-9254-1952
Research at a Glance
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Longgang Zhao's research output by year.
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Longgang Zhao's published research.
86Publications
2,019Citations
Yun Chen
Tamar Taddei, MD
Catherine Mezzacappa, MD, MPH, PhD
Bubu Banini, MD, PhD
Chul S. Hyun, MD, PhD, MPH
Xiaomei Ma, PhD
Publications
2026
Physical Activity, Sitting Time, and Sleep Among Postpartum Women During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Zhao L, Liu J, Whitaker K, Hung P, Hair N, Chen E, Alberg A. Physical Activity, Sitting Time, and Sleep Among Postpartum Women During the COVID‐19 Pandemic. Birth 2026 PMID: 42310930, DOI: 10.1111/birt.70086.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLonger sitting timeAssociated with higher oddsPhysical activityPostpartum womenHealth behaviorsSelf-reported changesSitting timeHigher oddsSurvey of postpartum womenMultiple health behaviorsAssociated with lower oddsWorse health statusMultiple logistic regression modelsCOVID-19-related worriesCOVID-19 pandemicOnline surveyCOVID-19-related factorsCOVID-19-related stressorsLogistic regression modelsAssociated with adverse changesHealth statusLower oddsSocio-DemographicIntervention programsHigh-risk groupHelicobacter pylori infection and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a prospective study and meta-analysis.
Zhao L, Chen Y, Zhang X, Mezzacappa C, Ma X, Banini B, Lee J, Liu C, Zhang X, Hsing A, Nguyen M, Hyun C, Camargo M, McGlynn K, Hou L, Taddei T, Zhang X. Helicobacter pylori infection and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a prospective study and meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2026 PMID: 42233960, DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-26-0038.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsH. pylori seropositivityHazard ratioConfidence intervalsCagA seropositivityCross-sectional studyCardiometabolic factorsH. pyloriPrevention strategiesProspective cohortHealth concernMedian Follow-UpMeta-analysisAsian populationsUKBParticipantsHigh riskCox modelH. pylori infectionGlobal health concernFollow-upProspective studyRiskRisk stratificationLiver diseaseSteatotic liver diseaseArtificially Sweetened and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake and Risk of Liver Cancer
Watling C, Zhao L, Zhang X, Deubler E, Gonzalez-Feliciano A, Graubard B, Petrick J, Wojt A, Butera G, Hofmann J, Freeman L, Shrubsole M, Zheng W, Sudenga S, Schernhammer E, Eliassen A, Mucci L, Sesso H, Sinha R, Loftfield E, Um C, McCullough M, Jenab M, Zhang X, McGlynn K. Artificially Sweetened and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake and Risk of Liver Cancer. JAMA Network Open 2026, 9: e2617754. PMID: 42268607, PMCID: PMC13254733, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.17754.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSugar-sweetened beveragesArtificially sweetened beveragesIncident liver cancerAssociated with liver cancer riskLiver cancer riskArtificially sweetened beverage intakeSugar-sweetened beverage consumptionSugar-sweetened beverage intakeSelf-reported intakeCancer riskCancer RegistryIncident liver cancer casesRisk of hepatocellular carcinomaEvidence of effect modificationHazard ratioState Cancer RegistryRisk of liver cancerEnd-of-study dateMultivariable hazard ratiosLiver cancer incidenceIntrahepatic cholangiocarcinomaFood frequency questionnaireHepatocellular carcinomaMedical record reviewFollow-up surveySu2107 HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND MASLD: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY AND META-ANALYSIS
Zhao L, Chen Y, Zhang X, Mezzacappa C, Ma X, Banini B, Lee J, Liu C, Zhang X, Hsing A, Nguyen M, Hyun C, Camargo M, McGlynn K, Hou L, Taddei T, Zhang X. Su2107 HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND MASLD: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY AND META-ANALYSIS. Gastroenterology 2026, 170: s-1557. DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(26)03805-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSu2107 HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND MASLD: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY AND META-ANALYSIS
Zhao L, Chen Y, Zhang X, Mezzacappa C, Ma X, Banini B, Lee J, Liu C, Zhang X, Hsing A, Nguyen M, Hyun C, Camargo M, McGlynn K, Hou L, Taddei T, Zhang X. Su2107 HELICOBACTER PYLORI INFECTION AND MASLD: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY AND META-ANALYSIS. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 2026, 103: s-1557. DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5107(26)03736-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDietary Patterns and the Risk of Liver Cancer and Chronic Liver Disease Mortality
Khil J, Zhao L, Zhang X, Chen Y, Jung S, Pichardo M, Lopez-Pentecost M, Rohan T, Saquib N, Sun Y, Tabung F, Zheng T, Wactawski-Wende J, Manson J, Neuhouser M, Keum N, Zhang X. Dietary Patterns and the Risk of Liver Cancer and Chronic Liver Disease Mortality. Journal Of Nutrition 2026, 156: 101557. PMID: 42061715, DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101557.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsChronic liver disease mortalityChronic liver disease deathsLiver cancer riskChronic liver diseaseDietary patternsCancer riskInverse associationWomen's Health Initiative Observational StudyHazard ratioAdherence to healthy dietary patternsOverall eating behaviorsRisk of liver cancerConfidence intervalsLiver disease mortalityNational Death IndexPostmenopausal womenFood-frequency questionnaireLiver cancer incidenceHealthy dietary patternSignificant inverse associationLiver cancerCox proportional hazards regressionReview of medical recordsLiver cancer casesLiver diseaseAssociations of Lifestyle Factors and Ultra-Processed Food Consumption with Constipation Among US Adults: NHANES 2005-2010
Lo J, Zhao L, Steele E, Zhang X, Singh H, Samadder N. Associations of Lifestyle Factors and Ultra-Processed Food Consumption with Constipation Among US Adults: NHANES 2005-2010. Clinical Gastroenterology And Hepatology 2026 PMID: 41905524, DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2026.03.020.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBlood Pressure Trajectories in Young Adulthood and Midlife Steatotic Liver Disease
Chen Y, Zhao L, Zheng Y, Carr J, Gao T, Terry J, Qu Y, Ning H, Zhang X, Wilkins J, Bae S, Carnethon M, Allen N, Jacobs D, Lloyd-Jones D, Hou L, Zhang X. Blood Pressure Trajectories in Young Adulthood and Midlife Steatotic Liver Disease. Hypertension 2026, 83: e26319. PMID: 41867060, DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.125.26319.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsBP trajectoriesYoung adulthoodSystolic BP trajectoriesBlood pressureBlood pressure trajectoriesHigh riskSteatotic liver diseaseHigh blood pressureCARDIA studyElevated-stableHypertensive trajectoryWhite adultsLong-term BP changesPressure trajectoriesModerate-stableAnalytic sampleIdentification of individualsModerate-increasingMid-adulthoodLiver diseaseAbdominal computed tomography scanProspective cohortAccurate identification of individualsDiastolic BP groupPositive associationBody mass index (BMI) and risk of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using directly measured and genetically proxied measures of BMI
Das Gupta R, Merchant A, McDonnell K, Akonde M, Zhao L, Zhang J, Alberg A. Body mass index (BMI) and risk of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using directly measured and genetically proxied measures of BMI. Cancer Causes & Control 2026, 37: 56. PMID: 41784894, DOI: 10.1007/s10552-026-02143-2.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsLung cancer riskBody mass indexRisk of lung cancerCancer riskMendelian randomizationRisk associationOdds ratioMeasures of body mass indexMass indexCriteria of biological plausibilityRandom-effects meta-analysesAssociated with lung cancerEffects meta-analysesDose-response trendOverweight/obese categoryMeta-analysis of studiesInverse associationNormal weightUnderweight categoryLung cancerSystematic reviewInclusion criteriaMeta-analysesBibliographic databasesMeta-analysisAssociation Between Dietary Folate and Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness Among African Americans and European Americans
Su L, O’Connor S, Aguilar D, Lee M, Wong H, Lin H, Bensen J, Mohler J, Arab L, Zhao L, Butler E, Farnan L, Steck S. Association Between Dietary Folate and Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness Among African Americans and European Americans. Nutrients 2026, 18: 748. PMID: 41829916, PMCID: PMC12986587, DOI: 10.3390/nu18050748.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsProstate cancer aggressivenessProstate cancerFolate intakeCancer aggressivenessConclusions:Quartile levelsMethods:Cancer progressionHigh-aggressive prostate cancerDietary history questionnaireHigher oddsProstate cancer progressionFolate intake levelsNeural tube defectsLogistic regression analysisAfrican AmericansChi-square testAA subjectsClinical characteristicsDietary folateProstateNutritional guidanceTube defectsEA menHistory questionnaire
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