About

Dr. Di Yang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Florida. His work focuses on integrating cutting-edge technologies such as machine learning, cloud computing, and citizen science to address critical environmental challenges. He specializes in developing innovative approaches to monitor and analyze land use changes, ecosystem dynamics, and human-environment interactions across local, regional, continental, and global scales. His research interests include the dynamics of human-modified landscape systems, their response to environmental change such as land use and climate, and the scientific basis for their management, conservation, and restoration. Dr. Yang's research involves utilizing large ecological and remote sensing databases, incorporating geospatial analysis, and leveraging cloud computing platforms like Google Earth Engine and Microsoft Azure to benefit conservation, resource management, landowners, and policymakers. His recent projects include forecasting mosquito-borne disease risk in a changing climate through citizen science and NASA Earth system modeling, monitoring desert yellowhead using high-resolution UAS data and AI/ML workflows, and quantifying effects of land cover change on ecosystem productivity. His work aims to advance understanding of environmental processes and support sustainable land management practices.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Surgery
• Gastroenterology

Selected publications

• Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection in North America: A Large Prospective Multicenter Study

  Gastroenterology · 2021 · 184 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Medicine
  • Surgery
  • Internal medicine
  DOI

• Gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) for refractory gastroparesis: results from an international prospective trial

  Gut · 2021 · 119 citations

  • Medicine
  • Internal medicine
  • Gastroenterology

  OBJECTIVE: Although gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) is considered a promising technique for the management of refractory gastroparesis, high-quality evidence is limited. We prospectively investigated the efficacy and safety of G-POEM in unselected patients with refractory gastroparesis. DESIGN: In five tertiary centres, patients with symptomatic gastroparesis refractory to standard medical therapy and confirmed by impaired gastric emptying were included. The primary endpoint was clinical success, defined as at least one score decrease in Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) with ≥25% decrease in two subscales, at 12 months. GCSI Score and subscales, adverse events (AEs) and 36-Item Short Form questionnaire of quality of life were evaluated at baseline and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after G-POEM. Gastric emptying study was performed before and 3 months after the procedure. RESULTS: Of 80 enrolled patients, 75 patients (94%) completed 12-month follow-up. Clinical success at 12 months was 56% (95% CI, 44.8 to 66.7). GCSI Score (including subscales) improved moderately after G-POEM (p<0.05). In a regression model, a baseline GCSI Score >2.6 (OR=3.23, p=0.04) and baseline gastric retention >20% at 4 hours (OR=3.65, p=0.03) were independent predictors of clinical success at 12 months, as was early response to G-POEM at 1 month after therapy (OR 8.75, p<0.001). Mild procedure-related AEs occurred in 5 (6%) patients. CONCLUSION: G-POEM is a safe procedure, but showed only modest overall effectiveness in the treatment of refractory gastroparesis. Further studies are required to identify the best candidates for G-POEM; unselective use of this procedure should be discouraged. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry NCT02732821.

  DOI

• Barrett’s esophagus after sleeve gastrectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

  Gastrointestinal Endoscopy · 2020 · 133 citations

  • Medicine
  • Internal medicine
  • Gastroenterology
  DOI

Frequent coauthors

• Peter V. Draganov

  270 shared

• Muhammad K. Hasan

  University of Illinois Chicago

  84 shared

• Yaseen B. Perbtani

  67 shared

• Mohamed Othman

  Baylor College of Medicine

  66 shared

• Salmaan Jawaid

  64 shared

• Amrita Sethi

  Columbia University Irving Medical Center

  62 shared

• Hiroyuki Aihara

  Harvard University

  53 shared

• Kambiz Kadkhodayan

  AdventHealth Orlando

  53 shared

Labs

• GeoDI LabPI

Education

• Ph.D, geography

  University of Florida

  2019

• MS, Environmental Engineering

  Texas A&M University Kingsville

  2013

Awards & honors

• NASA: Forecasting Mosquito-Borne Disease Risk in a Changing…
• NASA Early-Career: Evaluating Long-term Impacts of Land-use…
• NASA: A Meta-Learning Framework for Characterizing and Acces…
• NASA: Quantifying Effects of Land Cover Change-Climate Inter…
• NCAR Large Allocation Grant: Harnessing HPC for Predictive G…

Similar researchers at University of Florida

• Steven T DeKoskyh-162
• Matthew Farrerh-133
• George Christouh-133
• Mark A Atkinsonh-129
• Christiaan Leeuwenburghh-125