Dr Valerie Yang

Expertise in Sarcoma

Sarcoma is a significant area of Dr Yang’s clinical and research work. She manages a broad spectrum of sarcomas, including GIST, liposarcomas and ultra-rare sarcomas, with her involvement extending across patient care, translational research, clinical trials and international collaboration.

Dr Yang is a Steering Committee Member and Lead Principal Investigator in the ATLAS Sarcoma and Rare Cancer Group (ATLAS SRCG), part of the Asia Clinical Trials Network for Cancers, where clinical trials in sarcoma and rare cancers are conducted across 10 countries in Asia. She is also a Principal Investigator in the global PUSH (Pushing Ultra-Rare Sarcomas Beyond Hope) Platform, which focuses on advancing research in ultra-rare sarcomas.

Her laboratory research spans different sarcoma types and explores their complex genomics, tumour biology and potential therapeutic targets. Her research team is also investigating novel therapeutic combinations and potential treatment strategies in sarcoma. Dr Yang is also the founding co-chair of the Singapore Sarcoma, Skin and Rare Cancers Symposium and contributes to developing the next generation of clinician-scientists and researchers through mentorship in her laboratory and clinical practice.

Expertise in Uncommon Skin Cancers

Dr Yang manages a range of skin cancers, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma.​

Her melanoma experience spans both cutaneous melanoma and less common forms that may be particularly relevant in Asian populations, including acral melanoma, mucosalmelanoma, uveal or eye melanoma, and melanoma of unknown origin.​

Alongside her clinical practice, she continues to lead research laboratories at A*STAR, where her work explores how a deeper understanding of the individual characteristics and biologyof a patient’s cancer can contribute to more personalised approaches to treatment.​

Precision Oncology in Rare Cancers​

Dr Yang leads an academic and translational research programme at A*STAR, where she runs research laboratories across the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) and Bioinformatics Institute (BII). She is Group Leader at IMCB and Adjunct Principal Investigator at BII, maintaining active research teams, academic collaborations and leadership roles ininternational cancer research consortia.​

Her research spans genomic and spatial technologies, cancer immunology, patient-derived cancer models and functional precision oncology, with the aim of understanding whyindividual cancers respond—or fail to respond—to treatment and identifying potential therapeutic strategies.​

A rare cancer diagnosis is overwhelming, but you are not alone. The first step is getting the right help from the right people. There are new treatments and technologies being developed as we continue to change how these rare cancers are understood and treated.

Cancer care is about the mind, heart and soul. There can be a lot of complexity in the biology and clinical management, but my role is to break that down into clear, actionable terms as we walk the journey together. My aim for every patient is always to help them live their best life—and that means something different for every person.

Dr Yang also treats a broad range of cancers in addition to the rare cancer areas highlighted on this page. Her broader oncology experience includes lung cancer, hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal cancers, women’s breast and gynaecological cancers, cancers of unknown primary, and adolescent and young adult cancers.

To learn more about her broader clinical experience, qualifications and areas of expertise, visit Dr Valerie Yang’s full profile.