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College of
Health Sciences

Alex Chang

Clinical Investigator
Department of Population Health Sciences

LOCATION(S)
Henry Hood Center for Health Research Building
100 North Academy Avenue
Danville, PA 17822 
Phone: 570-271-6393
achang@geisinger.edu

Department of Nephrology
100 North Academy Avenue
Danville, PA 17822 
Phone: 570-271-6393
achang@geisinger.edu

Alexander Chang, MD, MS

Research Interests

Dr. Chang is a physician-scientist, practicing nephrologist and associate professor of Clinical Research at Geisinger. His research is devoted to preventing and decreasing the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and related cardiometabolic complications. 

Dr. Chang’s research program encompasses common and rare, genetic causes of CKD. Projects funded by the NIH and industry sponsors include: 

  • Examining gaps in care and developing clinical decision tools to maximize benefits of therapy in patients with CKD 
  • Epidemiologic research using electronic health record (EHR) data from Geisinger and other large cohorts to study risk factors and the burden of CKD 
  • Health services research identifying barriers to appropriate evaluation of hematuria 
  • Using smartphone-enabled urine albumin testing to improve CKD screening 

He also co-leads the Center for Kidney Health Research and has substantial clinical trials expertise. In recent years, Dr. Chang has used his epidemiologic and EHR expertise to examine kidney genetics with publications in JAMA and other top journals on the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, Alport syndrome and other genetic kidney conditions. 

Dr. Chang has served on national committees and scientific workshops for the National Kidney Foundation, the American Society of Nephrology and the American Heart Association. He serves on the editorial board for the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. His clinical duties include helping lead systemwide efforts to improve hypertension care at Geisinger. Dr. Chang regularly collaborates with Geisinger’s Population Health and Innovations teams to more rapidly translate clinical research findings into practice, improving the health of our population. His research has influenced national and international clinical guidelines, gene-disease validity classification by ClinGen and National Committee for Quality Assurance-recommended measures for health plans. 

Recent Publications

  • Chang AR, Kramer H, Wei G, Boucher R, Grams ME, Berlowitz D, Bhatt U, Cohen DL, Drawz P, Punzi H, Freedman BI, Haley W, Hawfield A, Horwitz E, McLouth C, Morisky D, Papademetriou V, Rocco MV, Wall B, Weiner DE, Zias A, Beddhu S; SPRINT Research Group. Effects of Intensive Blood Pressure Control in Patients with and without Albuminuria: Post Hoc Analyses from SPRINT. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020 Aug 7;15(8):1121-1128. doi: 10.2215/CJN.12371019. Epub 2020 Jul 15. PMID: 32669306.
    This article selected as “Best of the American Society of Nephrology Journals” session for the ASN Kidney Week 2020

  • Shin JI, Sang Y, Chang AR, Dunning SC, Coresh J, Inker LA, Selvin E, Ballew SH, Grams ME. The FDA Metformin Label Change and Racial and Sex Disparities in Metformin Prescription among Patients with CKD. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2020 Aug;31(8):1847-1858. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2019101119. Epub 2020 Jul 13. PMID: 32660971.
  • Sumida K, Nadkarni GN, Grams ME, Sang Y, Ballew SH, Coresh J, Matsushita K, Surapaneni A, Brunskill N, Chadban SJ, Chang AR, Cirillo M, Daratha KB, Gansevoort RT, Garg AX, Iacoviello L, Kayama T, Konta T, Kovesdy CP, Lash J, Lee BJ, Major RW, Metzger M, Miura K, Naimark DMJ, Nelson RG, Sawhney S, Stempniewicz N, Tang M, Townsend RR, Traynor JP, Valdivielso JM, Wetzels J, Polkinghorne KR, Heerspink HJL. Conversion of Urine Protein-Creatinine Ratio or Urine Dipstick Protein to Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio for Use in Chronic Kidney Disease Screening and Prognosis: An Individual Participant-Based Meta- analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Jul 14. doi: 10.7326/M20-0529. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32658569.
  • Qiao Y, Shin JI, Chen TK, Inker LA, Coresh J, Alexander GC, Jackson JW, Chang AR, Grams ME. Association Between Renin-Angiotensin System Blockade Discontinuation and All-Cause Mortality Among Persons With Low Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 May 1;180(5):718-726. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.0193. PMID: 32150237; PMCID: PMC7063544.
  • Titan SM, Laureati P, Sang Y, Chang AR, Evans M, Trevisan M, Levey AS, Grams ME, Inker LA, Carrero JJ. Bisphosphonate utilization across the spectrum of eGFR. Arch Osteoporos. 2020 May 9;15(1):69. doi: 10.1007/s11657-020-0702-2. PMID: 32385586.
  • Juraschek SP, Kovell LC, Appel LJ, Miller ER 3rd, Sacks FM, Christenson RH, Rebuck H, Chang AR, Mukamal KJ. Associations Between Dietary Patterns and Subclinical Cardiac Injury: An Observational Analysis From the DASH Trial. Ann Intern Med. 2020 Jun 16;172(12):786-794. doi: 10.7326/M20-0336. Epub 2020 May 19. PMID: 32423348; PMCID: PMC7388686.
  • Juraschek SP, Miller ER 3rd, Chang AR, Anderson CAM, Hall JE, Appel LJ. Effects of Sodium Reduction on Energy, Metabolism, Weight, Thirst, and Urine Volume: Results From the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)-Sodium Trial. Hypertension. 2020 Mar;75(3):723-729. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.13932. Epub 2020 Jan 20. PMID: 31957521; PMCID: PMC7278848.
  • Chang AR, Anderson C. Dietary Phosphorus Intake and the Kidney. Annu Rev Nutr. 2017 Aug 21;37:321-346.
  • Chang AR, Grams ME, Navaneethan SD. Bariatric Surgery and Kidney-Related Outcomes. Kidney Int Rep. 2017 Mar;2(2):261-270.
  • Chang AR, Miller ER 3rd, Anderson CA, Juraschek SP, Moser M, White K, Henry B, Krekel C, Oh S, Charleston J, Appel LJ. Phosphorus Additives and Albuminuria in Early Stages of CKD: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Kidney Dis. 2017 Feb;69(2):200-209
  • Chang AR, Evans M, Yule C, Bohn L, Young A, Lewis M, Graboski E, Gerdy B, Ehmann W, Brady J, Lawrence L, Antunes N, Green J, Snyder S, Kirchner HL, Grams M, Perkins R. Using pharmacists to improve risk stratification and management of stage 3A chronic kidney disease: a feasibility study. BMC Nephrol. 2016 Nov 8;17(1):168.
  • Chang AR, Chen Y, Still C, Wood GC, Kirchner HL, Lewis M, Kramer H, Hartle JE, Carey D, Appel LJ, Grams ME. Bariatric surgery is associated with improvement in kidney outcomes. Kidney Int. 2016 Jul;90(1):164-71.

Education

BS, The Ohio State University, 2000-2003
MD, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 2003-2007
Internal Medicine Residency, Loyola University, 2007-2010
MS, Loyola University, 2009-2011
Nephrology Fellowship, Loyola University, 2010-2012
Renal Epidemiology, Postdoc Research Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University, 2012-2013

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