Dr. Zeng Yixin is a Professor and esteemed Member of both the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). His research primarily focuses on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) etiology and biotherapy. Dr. Zeng has made groundbreaking contributions in the field, particularly in molecular genetics research related to NPC, where he revealed the genetic predispositions that contribute to NPC risk. He identified key susceptibility genes for both familial and sporadic NPC cases (Nat Genet 2002, 2010) and further elucidated the carcinogenic mechanisms of these genes (Cancer Res 2006, 2019), advancing our understanding of NPC's etiology.

Dr. Zeng’s work also identified a high-risk Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) subtype associated with a ~7-fold increase in NPC risk, providing vital insights into why NPC is so prevalent in South China. This discovery has led to the potential for using the high-risk EBV subtype as a marker for screening populations at elevated risk of NPC, opening new avenues for primary prevention through EBV vaccines (Nat Genet 2019). Building on these findings, Dr. Zeng developed a robust risk prediction model for NPC, which is currently being evaluated in large-scale screening programs in South China.

In addition to NPC etiology research, Dr. Zeng has been actively involved in the development of the EBV vaccine to further translate scientific discoveries into NPC prevention strategies. His team continues to lead with theoretical innovations and technological advances in NPC etiology, pathogenesis, and prevention, significantly contributing to early diagnosis and intervention efforts for NPC.

Dr. Zeng's exceptional contributions to medical science and NPC field have earned him numerous accolades, including the Second Prize of National Natural Science, the He Liang He Li Science and Technology Prize, the first Grand Silver Medal from Karolinska Institutet, the Outstanding Contribution to Science and Technology Award of Guangdong Province, and several prestigious honors such as 'Outstanding Mentors of Higher Educational Institutions of China,' 'Young Specialists with Outstanding Contributions' by the Ministry of Health, 'Chinese Young Scientists' by the Youth League of China, and the 'National Outstanding Specialists in Science and Technology' awarded by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST).