UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine Assistant Professor Haoyang Yan, Ph.D., received the Borrelli Family Lynch Syndrome Research Award at the 2025 Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer Annual Meeting in recognition of her research to improve cascade testing.

“I am deeply encouraged by this recognition, which reflects the field’s growing awareness of this underdiagnosed genetic syndrome and the significant, yet untapped, opportunities for cancer prevention,” said Yan. “It motivates me to persist through challenges in both research and clinical settings to enhance informed decision making and cascade testing, ultimately serving the hundreds of thousands of families affected.”

Affecting approximately 1 in 300 individuals, Lynch syndrome significantly elevates the risk for multiple cancers, including colorectal and endometrial cancers. For people with Lynch syndrome, these cancers are more likely to develop at earlier ages, often before the age of 50. Lynch syndrome is among the most common hereditary cancer syndromes.

Cascade genetic testing for blood relatives of patients with Lynch syndrome is often an underused diagnostic tool. This is due to practical and socio-cognitive barriers, such as accessibility of genetic services, family dynamics, and lack of awareness and understanding of its utility. Yan is learning from people who had genetic testing for Lynch syndrome and their relatives to develop new resources for improving decision making.

Philanthropists Jason and Julie Borrelli, in collaboration with Penn Medicine, offer the annual Borrelli Family Lynch Syndrome Research Awards to recognize excellence in research by early career professionals in the field.