*indicates corresponding authors; †indicates current or former Zhao Group members
Statistical Methodology
Precision Prevention and Precision Treatment
Qiu J, Zhao Y.Q., Zheng Y. (2026). Shift-adjusted Neyman-Pearson classifiers via single index modeling (SACSIM). Biometrics. Jul 1;82(3):ujag138. doi: 10.1093/biomtc/ujag138. PMID: 42573999; PMCID: PMC13455594. Link
Liang M.†, Ning Y., Smith M. A., Zhao Y. Q. (2026) Inference with non-differentiable surrogate loss in a general high-dimensional classification framework, In Press, Journal of Machine Learning Research. Link, Software
Qiu J.†, Zhao Y. Q., Chinnaiyan A., Tosoian J., Zheng Y. (2026) Optimizing Sequential Decision Rules for Prostate Cancer Biopsy Management: A Multi-Objective Statistical Framework, Journal of the American Statistical Association, 1-24, doi.org/10.1080/01621459.2026.2661377. Link, Software
Zhu K.†, Chan K.C.G., Zhao Y. Q., Zheng, Y. (2026) Two-step error-controlling classifiers with application to cost-effective disease diagnosis. Statistics in Medicine, 45(8-9):e70498. doi: 10.1002/sim.70498.[⋆⋆ An earlier version won an Honorable Mention from the Medical Device and Diagnostic Section Student Paper Competition at JSM 2025 ⋆⋆] Link
He Q.†, Zhang S.†, LeBlanc M.L., Zhao Y.Q.* (2024) Estimating individualized treatment rules by optimizing the adjusted probability of a longer survival. Statistical Methods in Medical Research, 33(9):1517-1530. doi: 10.1177/09622802241262525. PMCID: PMC11671293. Link, Software
Dong X.†, Zhao Y.Q.* (2024) Estimating individualized treatment regimes to optimize incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, Statistics in Biosciences, 17(2):366-385. Link
Liang M.†, Choi Y-G†, Ning Y., Smith M. A., Zhao Y. Q.* (2022) Estimation and inference on high dimensional individualized treatment rule in observational data using split-and-pooled de-correlated score. Journal of Machine Learning Research, 23 (262), pp. 1-65. PMCID: PMC10720606. Link, Software
Pan Y.†, Zhao Y.Q.* (2021) Improved Doubly Robust Estimation in Learning Optimal Individualized Treatment Rules. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 116(533), pp. 283-294 DOI: 10.1080/01621459.2020.1725522. PMCID: PMC8132732. Link, Software
Meng H., Zhao,Y.Q., Fu H, Qiao X (2020) Near-optimal Individualized Treatment Recommendations. Journal of Machine Learning Research, 20(48), 1-28. PMCID: PMC8324003. Link
Wang Y.†, Zhao Y.Q., Zheng Y. (2020) Learning-based Biomarker-assisted Rules for Optimized Clinical Benefit under a Risk-constraint. Biometrics 2020 76(3), pp. 853-862. PMCID: PMC7292743. Link, Software
Zhao Y.Q.*, Laber E.B., Ning Y., Saha S., Sands B. (2019) Efficient augmentation and relaxation learning for treatment regimes using observational data. Journal of Machine Learning Research 20(48)1-23. PMCID: PMC6705615. Link, Software, Supplementary
Zhu R., Zhao Y.Q., Chen G., Ma S., Zhao H. (2017) Greedy outcome weighted tree learning of optimal personalized treatment rules. Biometrics Jun;73(2):391-400. PMCID: PMC5378692. Link
Xu Y., Yu M., Zhao Y.Q., Li Q., Wang S., Shao J. (2015) Regularized outcome weighted subgroup identification for differential treatment effects. Biometrics Sep;71(3):645-53. PMCID: PMC5395466. [An earlier version won an ENAR John Van Ryzin Award] Link
Laber E.B., Zhao Y.Q. (2015) Tree-based methods for individualized treatment regimes. Biometrika 2015;102(3):501-514. PMCID: PMC4755313. Link
Zhao Y.Q., Zeng D., Laber E.B., Song R., Yuan M., Kosorok M.R. (2015) Doubly Robust Learning for Estimating Individualized Treatment with Censored Data. Biometrika 2015 Mar 1;102(1):151-168. PMCID: PMC4414056. Link
Zhao Y.Q., Zeng D., Rush A.J., Kosorok M.R. (2012) Estimating Individualized Treatment Rules Using Outcome Weighted Learning. Journal of the American Statistical Association 2012 Sep 1;107(449):1106-1118. PMCID: PMC3636816. Link, Software
Dynamic Treatment/Surveillance Regimens
Liang M.†, Zhao Y. Q., Lin D.W., Cooperberg M., Zheng Y. (2025) Estimating optimally tailored active surveillance strategy under interval censoring. Biometrics 81(2): (2025): ujaf067. PMCID: PMC12123698. Link, Software
Dong X.†, Zheng Y., Zhao Y. Q.∗(2023) Constructing stabilized dynamic surveillance rules for optimal monitoring schedule. Biometrics 79(4), 3895-3906. PMCID: PMC10866138. [⋆⋆ An earlier version won an ENAR Distinguished Student Paper Award ⋆⋆] Link, Software
Zhao Y.Q.*, Zhu R., Chen G., Zheng Y. (2020) Constructing dynamic treatment regimes with shared parameters for censored data. Statistics in Medicine 39(9), 1250-1263. PMCID: PMC7305816. Link, Software
Chakraborty B., Laber E., Zhao Y.Q. (2013) Inference for optimal dynamic treatment regimes using an adaptive m-out-of-n bootstrap scheme. Biometrics 69;714-723. PMCID: PMC3864701 Link, Software
Zhao Y.Q., Zeng D., Laber E.B., Kosorok M.R. (2015) New Statistical Learning Methods for Estimating Optimal Dynamic Treatment Regimes. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 110(510):583-598. PMCID: PMC4517946. Link, Software
Design and Analysis of Clinical Therapeutic and Early Detection Trials
Zhu K.†, Zhao Y.Q., Zheng Y. (2024) Designing cancer screening trials for reduction in late-stage cancer incidence. Biometrics 80(3) ujae09. doi: 10.1093/biomtc/ujae097. PMCID: PMC11413908
[⋆⋆ An earlier version won an ENAR Distinguished Student Paper Award and Society for Clinical Trials (SCT) Thomas C. Chalmers Student Scholarship Finalist⋆⋆] Link, App, Source Code
Zhang S. †, LeBlanc M. L., Zhao Y.Q..* (2022) Restricted survival benefit with right-censored data. Biometrical Journal 64(4), pp. 696-713.. Link, Software
Zhao Y.Q.*, LeBlanc M.L. (2020) Designing precision medicine trials to yield greater population impact. Biometrics 76(2):643-653. PMCID: PMC7211185. Link, Software
Zhao Y.Q.*, Redman M.W., LeBlanc M.L. (2019) Quantifying treatment effects using the personalized chance of longer survival. Statistics in Medicine 38:5317-5331. PMCID: PMC6842038. Link
Minsker S., Zhao Y.Q.*, Cheng G. (2016) Active Clinical Trials for Personalized Medicine. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 111(514):875-887. PMCID: PMC5179145. Link, Software
Laber E.B., Zhao Y.Q., Regh T., Davidian M., Tsiatis A., Stanford J.B., Zeng D., Song R., Kosorok M.R. (2016) Using pilot data to size a two-arm randomized trial to find a nearly optimal personalized treatment strategy. Statistics in Medicine, 15;35(8):1245-56. PMCID: PMC4777666. Link
Esserman D., Zhao Y.Q., Tang Y., Cai J. (2013) Sample size estimation in educational intervention trials with subgroup heterogeneity in only one arm. Statistics in Medicine, May 30;32(12):2140-54. PMCID: PMC3615113. Link
Nadkarni N.V., Zhao Y.Q., Kosorok M.R. (2011) Inverse regression estimation for censored data. Journal of the American Statistical Association, Mar 1;106(493):178-190. PMCID: PMC3110674. Link
Electronic Medical Records and Real-World Studies
Cheng, G.†, Chen Y-C Unger J.M., Till C., Zhao, Y.Q. (2025) Long- term effect estimation when combining clinical trial and observational follow-up datasets. Journal of American Statistical Association, 121(553):1-19. Software, Dataset
Pan Y.†, Laber E. B., Smith M. A., Zhao Y.Q.* (2023) Reinforced risk prediction with budget constraint using irregularly measured data from electronic health records. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 118(542),1090-1101. PMCID: PMC10274334. Link, Software
Zhao Y.Q.*, Norton D., Hanrahan L. (2021) Small area estimation and childhood obesity surveillance using electronic health records. PLOS One, 16(2):e0247476. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247476. PMCID: PMC7895416. Link
Choi Y-G†, Hanrahan L.P., Norton D., Zhao Y.Q..* (2022) Simultaneous spatial smoothing and outlier using penalized regression, with application to childhood obesity surveillance from electronic health records. Biometrics 78(1), pp. 324-336. DOI: 10.1111/biom.13404. PMCID: PMC9138186. Link, Software
[⋆⋆ Results featured as cover image of Biometrics March 2022 issue. ⋆⋆]
Zhao Y.Q.*, Zeng D.,Tangen C.M., LeBlanc M.L. (2019) Robustifying Trial-Derived Treatment Rules to a Target Population. Electronic Journal of Statistics, 13(1):1717-1743. PMCID: PMC6705616 Link, Software
Zhao Y.Q., Zeng D., Herring A.H., Ising A., Waller A., Richardson D., Kosorok M.R. (2011) Detecting disease outbreaks using local spatiotemporal methods. Biometrics, Dec;67(4):1508-17. PMCID: PMC3698245. Link
Selected Collaborations
Chow E, Lee E, Hershberger M, Jenssen K, Di C, Doody D, Hogue B, Mendoza J, Muller T, Schenk J, Syrjala K, Xu Y, Yi J, Zhao Y.Q. Armstrong G, Neuhouser M, Oeffinger K. (2026). Protocol for a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial to Improve Physical Activity and Diet Quality in Survivors of Cancer.. JMIR Research Protocols.15:e104572. doi: 10.2196/104572. PMID: 2594273; PMCID: PMC13472231. Link
Chari ST, Feng Z, Wu B, Fisher W, Kambadakone A, Zhao Y.Q., Maitra A, Kenner B, Matrisian LM. (2026). Heuriskance: a novel paradigm for systematic earlier detection of sporadic pancreatic cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 118(8):1353-1363. PMID: 41063387; PMCID: PMC12668594. Link
Booth A., Hillman S., Laumann K., Zhao Y. Q., LeBlanc M., Chansky K., ..., Mandrekar S. J. (2026). PROSPECT-LUNG: A National Clinical Trials Network Trial Advancing Pragmatic Innovation in Cancer Clinical Trials. Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 103650. Link
Tsao A.S., Hsieh M.H., Koczywas M., Tu J., Riess J., Tanvetyanon T., Ma B.T., Zhao Y.Q., Redman M.W., Edelman M.J., Gandara D.R., Gray J.E., Kelly K.L. (2024) S1701, A Randomized Phase 2 Trial of Carboplatin-Paclitaxel With and Without Ramucirumab in Patients With Locally Advanced, Recurrent, or Metastatic Thymic Carcinoma. JTO Clin Res Rep. Oct 16;5(12):100738. doi: 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2024.100738. PMID: 39619274; PMCID: PMC11605468. Link
Karim N.A., Miao J., Reckamp K.L., Gay C.M., Byers L.A., Zhao Y.Q., Redman M.W., Carrizosa D.R., Wang W.L., Petty W.J., Mehta K., Faller B.A., Agamah E.S., Kasbari S.S., Malisetti R.K., Kumar A., Schallenkamp J., Alluri K.C., Gray J.E., Kelly K. (2025 ) Phase II Randomized Study of Maintenance Atezolizumab Versus Atezolizumab Plus Talazoparib in Patients With SLFN11 Positive Extensive-Stage SCLC: S1929. J Thorac Oncol. Mar;20(3):383-394. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2024.10.021. Epub 2024 Nov 4. PMID: 39505259. Link
Chari S.T., Wu B., Lopez C., Lustigova E., Chen Q., Van Den Eeden S.K., Leimpeter A.D., Fisher W., Wood A., Alexander A.S., Valenta J., Vege S.S., Carlson E., Rabe K.G., Hart P.A., Qian L., Zhao Y.Q., Yosuf N., Matrisian L., Kenner B., Rinaudo J.A., Maitra A., Feng, Z. (2025) Risk of pancreatic cancer in glycemically defined new-onset diabetes: A prospective cohort study. Gastroenterology. 2025 Jul 7:S0016-5085(25)05730-0. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2025.06.025. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40633624. Link
Chari S.T., Maitra A., Matrisian L.M., Shrader E.E., Wu B.U., Kambadakone A., Zhao Y.Q., Kenner B., Rinaudo J.A.S., Srivastava S., Huang Y., Feng Z. Early Detection Initiative Consortium (2021) Early Detection Initiative: A randomized controlled trial of algorithm-based screening in patients with new onset hyperglycemia and diabetes for early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Contemp Clin Trials, Dec 23;113:106659. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106659. PMCID: PMC8844106. Link
Bartels C.M., Johnson H., Voelker K.V., Ogdie A., McBride P., Jacobs E.A., Zhao Y.Q., Smith M. (2018) Frequency and predictors of communication about high blood pressure in rheumatoid arthritis visits. Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, 24(4):210–217. PMCID: PMC5962363. Link
Flood T.L., Zhao Y.Q., Tomayko E.J., Tandias A., Carrel A.L., Hanrahan L.P. (2015) Electronic health records and community health surveillance of childhood obesity. Am J Prev Med. Feb;48(2):234-240. PMCID: PMC4435797. Link
Saha S., Zhao Y.Q., Shah S.A., Esposti S.D., Lidofsky S., Shapiro J., Leleiko N., Bright R., Law M., Moniz H., Samad Z., Merrick M., Sands B.E. (2015) Body image dissatisfaction in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Inflamm Bowel Dis, Feb;21(2):345-52. PMCID: PMC4373552. Link
Saha S., Zhao Y.Q., Shah S., Esposti S.D., Lidofsky S., Salih S., Bright R., Law M., Moniz H., Flowers N., Merrick M., Sands B.E. (2014) “Menstrual Cycle Changes in Women with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Study from the Ocean State Crohn’s and Colitis Area Registry”. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Vol 20, pp. 534-540. Link