Jonathan Yeung

At A Glance

• We utilize samples from esophageal adenocarcinoma patients to study the molecular biology of the disease

• We have corresponding patient-derived esophageal adenocarcinoma organoids on which to experimentally manipulate the disease and to validate discoveries

• We are developing animal models for the study of esophageal adenocarcinoma in the context of tumor immunology

Short Bio

Dr. Jonathan Yeung is Associate Professor and Surgeon-Scientist in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto.  He obtained his MD from the University of Toronto in 2005 and studied gene therapy and ex vivo lung perfusion as part of his PhD in the lab of Dr. Shaf Keshavjee.  Following residency in General and Thoracic Surgery in Toronto, he pursued fellowship training in Lung Transplantation in Toronto and Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.  His clinical practice covers general thoracic surgery and lung transplantation with an additional focus on foregut surgery.  His research focus is on the molecular biology of esophageal adenocarcinoma.  As part of the MOCHA (MOlecular CHaracteristics of esophageal Adenocarcinoma) project, he has built a biobank of laser capture microdissected esophageal adenocarcinoma specimens along with corresponding patient-derived organoids.  He is currently using these specimens to identify novel drivers of esophageal adenocarcinoma and to develop methods to personalize the detection and treatment of esophageal adenocarcinoma. 

Research Synopsis

We have established a biobank of laser capture microdissected esophageal adenocarcinoma specimens collected from patients during the course of their treatment.  We have sequenced these specimens to reveal novel insights into tumor biology, identify molecular subtypes with clinical relevance, and explore its epigenetic landscape.

With these same samples, we have cultured organoids as avatars of the originating tumor allowing for patient-specific drug-testing, circulating tumor DNA mapping, and validation of findings made using sequencing technology.

We are now developing mouse models to study the interaction of esophageal adenocarcinoma and mucosal immunology mechanisms which may lead to immune tolerance.

Recent Publications

Bolger JC, Xiao K, Ristic I, Darling GE, Wakeam E, Yeung JC. Surveillance frequency in resected esophageal cancer: towards personalization of follow-up.  Eur J Surg Oncol. 2025. 51(7). 

Yamamoto H, Wilson GW, Sundby A, Zhu S, Allen J, Chao BT, Akhter A, Keshavjee S, Sage A, Yeung JC. Cell-free DNA in Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusate is Associated with Low-Quality Lungs and Lung Transplant Outcome. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2025 Mar 4:S1053-2498(25)01771-1. doi: 10.1016/j.healun.2025.02.1693. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40049261

Bolger JC, Allen J, Radulovich N, Ng C, Derouet M, Wilson GW, Tsao MS, Elimova E, Darling GE, Yeung JC.   Patient-derived organoids for prediction of treatment response in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Br J Surg. 2024 Jan 3;111(1):znad408.

Wilson G, Duong A, Moshkelgosha S, Bader G, Keshavjee S, Martinu T, Juvet S, Yeung JC.  Robust segregation and transcriptional profiling of donor and recipient single cells from transplant samples.  Front Trans. 2023

Derouet MF, Allen J, Wilson GW, Ng C, Radulovich N, Kalimuthu S, Tsao MS, Darling GE, Yeung JC. Towards personalized induction therapy for esophageal adenocarcinoma: organoids derived from endoscopic biopsy recapitulate the pre-treatment tumor.  Sci Rep. 2020 Sept 3;10(1):14514. Doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-71589-4

Graduate Students