Dr Bingyi Yang completed her Ph.D. in infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Hong Kong in 2017, and subsequently undertook postdoctoral training at the Department of Biology, University of Florida during 2017-2020.

Dr Yang’s research interests lie in the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases and its driving factors. Her research focuses on understanding population susceptibilities through analysing serological data, including modeling the complexity of human immunity to angenic variable pathogens like influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Additionally, she conducts research on COVID-19 pandemic responses, with a particular emphasis on analysing the effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Dr Yang is the principal investigator and co-investigator of studies funded by Health and Medical Research Fund. She is also a recipient of Health and Medical Research Fund Fellowship.

(* = Corresponding author; † = Equal contribution)

1. Yang B*, Gostic K, Adam DC, Zhang R, Einav T, Peng L, Wong SS, Tsang TK, Cummings DAT, Sullivan SG, Cobey S, Cowling BJ. Breadth of influenza A antibody cross-reactivity varies by virus isolation interval and subtype. Nat Microbiol. 2025; in press.
2. Liu C, Tsang TK, Sullivan SG, Cowling BJ, Yang B*. Comparative duration of neutralizing responses and protection of COVID-19 vaccinations, and correlates of protection against symptomatic, severe, and fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections. Nat Commun. 2025;16:4748. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-60024-9
3. Li M, Grépin KA, Zhang R, Cowling BJ, Yang B*. Assessing the effectiveness of travel control measures in preventing imported COVID-19 cases reveals the critical role of travel volume. Epidemics. 2025;51:100837. doi:10.1016/j.epidem.2025.100837
4. Meng Y, Lin Y, Xiong W, Wu P, Tsang TK, Cowling BJ, Yang B*. Effective real-time transmission estimations incorporating population viral load distributions amid SARS-CoV-2 variants and pre-existing immunity. J Infect Dis. 2024;jiae592.
5. Yang B, Lin Y, Xiong W, Liu C, Gao H, Ho F, Zhou J, Zhang R, Wong JY, Cheung JK, Lai EHY, Tsang TK, Xiao J, Wong IOL, Martin-Sanchez M, Leung GM, Cowling BJ, Wu P. Comparison of control and transmission of COVID-19 across epidemic waves in Hong Kong: an observational study. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2024;43.
6. Lin Y†, Yang B†, Cobey S, Lau EHY, Adam DC, Wong JY, Bond HS, Cheung J, Ho F, Gao H, Ali ST, Leung NHL, Tsang TK, Wu P, Leung GM, Cowling BJ. Incorporating temporal distribution of population-level viral load enables real-time estimation of COVID-19 transmissibility. Nat Commun. 2022;13(1):1–8.
7. Yang B*, Garcia-Carreras B, Lessler J, Read JM, Zhu H, Metcalf EJ, Hay JA, Kwok KO, Shen R, Jiang CQ, Guan Y, Riley S*, Cummings DAT*. Intrinsic cycling in human life-course immune responses to influenza: an observational and modeling study. eLife. 2022;11\:e81457.
8. Yang B*, Huang X, Gao H, Tsang TK, Cowling BJ*. Immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine dose fractionation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Med. 2022;20(1):409.
9. Yang B, Huang AT, Garcia-Carreras B, Hart W, Staid A, Hitchings MDT, Lee EC, Grantz K, Wesolowski A, Lemaitre JC, Rattigan S, Moreno C, Borgert B, Dale C, Quigley N, Cummings AJ, McLorg A, Lomonaco K, Schlossberg S, Barron-Kraus D, Shrock H, UFCOVID Interventions Team, Lessler J, Laird CD, Cummings DAT. Effect of specific non-pharmaceutical intervention policies on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the counties of the United States. Nat Commun. 2021;12(1):1–10.
10. Yang B, Wu P, Lau EHY, Wong JY, Ho F, Gao H, Xiao J, Adam DC, Ng TWY, Quan J, Tsang TK, Liao Q, Cowling BJ, Leung GM. Changing disparities in COVID-19 burden in the ethnically homogeneous population of Hong Kong through pandemic waves: an observational study. Clin Infect Dis. 2021;ciab002.
11. Yang B, Tsang TK, Gao H, Lau EHY, Lin Y, Ho F, Xiao J, Wong JT, Liao Q, Wu P, Cowling BJ, Leung GM. Universal community nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 in Hong Kong reveals insights into transmission dynamics: a cross-sectional and modelling study. Clin Infect Dis. 2021;ciab925.
12. Yang B, Tsang TK, Wong JY, He Y, Gao H, Ho F, Lau EHY, Wu P, Sullivan SG, Cowling BJ. The differential importation risks of COVID-19 from inbound travellers and the feasibility of targeted travel controls: a case study in Hong Kong. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2021;13:100184.
13. Huang AT†, Garcia-Carreras B†, Hitchings MDT†, Yang B†, Katzelnick L†, Rattigan SM, Borgert B, Moreno CA, Solomon BD, Rodriguez-Barraquer I, Lessler J, Salje H, Burke D, Wesolowski A, Cummings DAT. A systematic review of antibody responses to coronaviruses: antibody kinetics, correlates of protection, and association of antibody responses with severity of disease. Nat Commun. 2020;11(1):1–6.
14. Yang B*, Lessler J, Zhu H, Jiang CQ, Read JM, Hay JA, Kwok KO, Guan Y, Shen R, Riley S*, Cummings DAT*. Life course exposures continually shape antibody profiles and risk of seroconversion to influenza. PLoS Pathog. 2020;16(7):e1008635.
15. Yang B†, Liu F†, Liao Q†, Wu P, Chang Z, Huang J, Long L, Luo L, Li Y, Leung GM, Cowling BJ, Yu H. Epidemiology of hand, foot and mouth disease in China, 2008 to 2015 prior to the introduction of EV-A71 vaccine. Euro Surveill. 2017;22(50).