Dr. Ying Sun is a Professor of Radiation Oncology and vice president at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. 

Dr. Sun’s primary research focuses on the personalized and precision treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Her work encompasses the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data into NPC research, the development and application of adaptive radiotherapy technologies, and the exploration of molecular mechanisms and intervention strategies to address varying therapeutic responses in NPC. As a pioneer in AI-assisted precision radiotherapy for NPC, Dr. Sun spearheaded the establishment of China’s first integrated radiotherapy information platform and the world’s first NPC-specific big data platform. Her automated contouring platform for gross tumor volumes and organs at risk has been successfully implemented in both clinical and research settings. Dr. Sun also devised a groundbreaking "optimal timing + medication" chemoradiotherapy strategy for advanced NPC and co-chaired the formulation of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO)-American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) clinical guidelines for NPC. Furthermore, she developed a dynamic recurrence risk model for NPC centered on Epstein-Barr Virus DNA (EBV DNA) and introduced a risk-adapted treatment and follow-up strategy, significantly advancing the management and prognosis of NPC.
Prof. Sun has published over 60 papers as the first author and/or corresponding author in prestigious international peer-reviewed journals, including N Engl J Med, The Lancet, BMJ, JAMA, Nat Med, Cancer Cell, J Clin Oncol, Lancet Oncol, Radiology, Cell Death Differ, Cancer Res, and Clin Cancer Res. She also serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for numerous leading journals. She holds several important leadership roles, including Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO)-Nasopharyngeal Cancer Special Committee, Vice Chairman of the China Anti-Cancer Association-Big Data and Real World Research Committee, Council Member of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology, Council Member of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, and Chairperson of the Radiation Oncology Branch of the Guangdong Medical Association. 

Prof. Sun has received numerous honors throughout her career. She was named a “Chang Jiang Scholar of the Ministry of Education” (2020–2021), a “National Candidate of the New Century Millions Talent Project,” and a “Youth Scientific and Technological Innovation Leader” under the Talent Promotion Program of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology. In 2018, she was recognized as a “Distinguished Professor of Guangdong Province Universities and Colleges Pearl River Scholar.” She has also been a major participant in projects awarded the “National Science and Technology Progress Award” in 2024, 2015, and 2009. In 2023, she was honored as a "State Council Expert Receiving Special Government Allowance." In 2024, she was included in the Global Top 2% Scientists "Annual Science Impact Rankings," and her research was selected as one of the "Top 10 Advances in Life Sciences in China."

New strategies for de-escalation and enhanced efficacy in NPC treatment；
Novel intelligent treatment technologies for NPC；
Evolution of the immune microenvironment in NPC.

02/2012-02/2013     Visiting Scholar, William Beaumont Hospital, Michigan, US
09/1997-06/2002    Master and Doctorial degree of Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China 
02/1992-06/1997   Bachelor of Medical Imaging, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

1.Zhang Y#, Chen L#, Hu GQ#, Zhang N#, Zhu XD#, Yang KY#, Jin F#, Shi M#, Chen YP#, ..., Chua MLK*, Xie FY*, Sun Y*, Ma J*. Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Induction Chemotherapy in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. New Engl J Med.2019 Sep 19;381(12):1124-1135.
2.Liu X#, Zhang Y#, Yang KY#, Zhang N#, Jin F#, Zou GR#, Zhu XD#, Xie FY#, Liang XY#, ..., Tang LL*, Chen YP*, Sun Y*, Ma J*. Induction-concurrent chemoradiotherapy with or without sintilimab in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in China (CONTINUUM): a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2024 Jun 22;403(10445):2720-2731.
3.Tang LL#,Guo R#, ..., Sun Y*, Ma J*. Effect of Radiotherapy Alone vs Radiotherapy With Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy on Survival Without Disease Relapse in Patients With Low-risk Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2022 Aug 23;328(8):728-736.
4.Jiawei Lv#, Ling-Xin Xu#, Zhi-Xuan Li#, Li Lin#, Chen-Fei Wu#, Ting-Qiu Quan#, ..., Jun Ma*, Yu-Pei Chen*, Guan-Qun Zhou*, Ying Sun*. Longitudinal on-treatment circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker for real-time dynamic risk monitoring in cancer patients: The EP-SEASON study. Cancer Cell. 2024 Aug 12;42(8):1401-1414.
5.Lin L#, Dou Q#, ..., Sun Y*. Deep Learning for Automated Contouring of Primary Tumor Volumes by MRI for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Radiology. 2019 Jun;291(3):677-686.
6.Chen YP#, Liu X#, Zhou Q#, Yang KY#, Jin F#, Zhu XD#, Shi M#, Hu GQ#, Hu WH#, ..., Tang LL*, Xie FY*, Sun Y* , Ma J*. Metronomic capecitabine as adjuvant therapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a multicentre, open-label, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2021 Jul 24; 398(10297): 303-313.
7.Chen YP#, Chan ATC#, Le QT#, Blanchard P#, Sun Y*, Ma J*. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Lancet. 2019 Jul 6;394(10192):64-80. 
8.Mao YP#, Wang SX#, Gao TS#, Zhang N#, Liang XY#, Xie FY#, ..., Tang LL*, Chen L*, Sun Y*,  Ma J*. Medial retropharyngeal nodal region sparing radiotherapy versus standard radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: open label, non-inferiority, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial. BMJ. 2023 Feb 6;380:e072133.
9.Lv JW#, Wei Y#, Yin JH #, Chen YP#, Zhou GQ#, Wei C#, Liang XY#, Zhang Y#, ..., Liu N*, Li GB*, Kuang DM*, Sun Y*, Ma J*.The tumor immune microenvironment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma following gemcitabine plus cisplatin treatment. Nat Med. 2023 Jun;29(6):1424-1436.
10.Du XJ#, Wang GY#, Zhu XD#, Han YQ#, Lei F#, Shen LF#, Yang KY#, ..., Chen MY*, Liu LZ*, Sun Y*,  Ma J*. Refining the 8th edition TNM classification for EBV related nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Cancer Cell. 2024 Mar 11;42(3):464-473.


Updated Jan 2025