Yongen Chang
Biography
Yongen Chang, M.D., Ph.D., FASN, is Associate Professor in the Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), where he also serves as Co-Director of the Center for Glomerular Diseases. Chang received his M.D. from Fudan University Medical Center in Shanghai, China, and his Ph.D. in Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology from the Joan & Sanford I. Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences at Cornell University. He completed his nephrology fellowship at UC San Francisco and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.
Chang's research focuses on glomerular diseases and renal fibrosis, with particular emphasis on integrin-mediated mechanisms of kidney injury. His work has examined the role of αv integrins in renal fibrosis and the molecular pathways underlying conditions such as IgA nephropathy, lupus nephritis, and C3 glomerulopathy. He serves as principal investigator or site investigator on multiple clinical trials investigating novel therapies for proteinuric kidney diseases, including APOL1-mediated kidney disease and complement-mediated glomerular disorders. Chang has published research in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and other nephrology journals, and has presented his findings at national meetings of the American Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation.
Chang served as Program Director of the UCI Nephrology Fellowship Program from 2017 to 2020 and as Site Director for the Long Beach VA Medical Center from 2022 to 2024. He has held leadership roles including Medical Director of the Inpatient Dialysis Unit at UCI Medical Center and Physician Champion for chronic kidney disease transitions at the Long Beach VA. Chang serves on advisory boards for pharmaceutical companies developing therapies for kidney disease and is a Physician Champion for the IgA Nephropathy Foundation. He is board certified in internal medicine and nephrology.
Return to topEducation
- M.D., Fudan University Medical Center, 2001
- Ph.D. in Physiology, Biophysics and Systems Biology, Cornell University, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 2007
Distinctions
- Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology (FASN)
- Top Oral Abstract by Trainees Award, ASN Kidney Week, 2013
- IgA Nephropathy Specialist, IgA Nephropathy Foundation, 2025
- Regional Winner for National Abstract Competition, American College of Physicians Annual Meeting, 2010
- Southern California Rising Stars, Super Doctors Magazine, 2018-2019
- Tang Family Foundation Scholarship, 1996-2001
Areas of Expertise
- Glomerular Diseases
- Integrin-Mediated Renal Fibrosis
- Retinal Pigment Epithelial Phagocytosis
- Tetraspanin CD81 Function
- Incremental Hemodialysis Protocols
- Complement Inhibition Therapy
- APOL1-Mediated Proteinuric Nephropathy
Recent Publications
- Dixit S., Chang Y., Ahdoot R.S., Ham A., Hanna R.M., “C3 glomerulopathy: advancements in diagnostics and therapeutics” (opens in new tab), Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension, vol. 35, pp. 52-61, 2026.
- Chen Y, Chang Y, Nast C, “Cover Image: Anti-Tubular Basement Membrane Antibody Nephritis Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection”, CJASN, 2025.
- Quizon M, Li W, Zukerman J, Tong L, Sy J, Lau WL, Jin A, Chen J, Tanavoli S, Chang Y, “Hydralazine-Induced Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Glomerulonephritis: A Case Series and Literature Review” (opens in new tab), Clinical Kidney Journal, vol. 18, 2025.
- Nguyen M., Dileep G., Patel S., Al Ammary F., Tran M.-H., Lee B.J., Ciurea S., Desai S., Amin A., Zhao H., Vadpey O., Le D., Truong T., Abdelmalek A., Perkins J., Ahdoot R., Malik F., Ferrey A., Reddy U., Tantisattamo E., et al., “Thrombotic microangiopathy multidisciplinary assessment team: demographics, final diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes” (opens in new tab), BMC Nephrology, vol. 26, 2025.
- Liu AC, Chang Y, Zuckerman JE, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Ghobry LM, Hanna RM, “Ibuprofen-associated minimal change disease and acute interstitial nephritis with possibly linked membranous glomerulonephritis” (opens in new tab), Sage Open Medical Case Reports, vol. 9, 2021.
- Torres EA, Chang Y, Desai S, Chang I, Zuckerman JE, Burwick R, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Hanna RM, “Complement-Mediated Thrombotic Microangiopathy Associated with Lupus Nephritis Treated with Eculizumab: A Case Report” (opens in new tab), Case Reports in Nephrology and Dialysis, vol. 11, pp. 95-102, 2021.
- Hur I, Wenziger C, Obi Y, Moradi H, Streja E, Tantisattamo E, Choi SJ, Lau WL, Chang Y, Jin A, Chen JLT, Kovesdy CP, Rhee CM, Kalantar-Zadeh K, “Hemodynamic and Laboratory Changes during Incremental Transition from Twice to Thrice-Weekly Hemodialysis” (opens in new tab), Cardiorenal Medicine, vol. 10, pp. 97-107, 2020.
- Lau WL, Chang Y, Vaziri ND, “The consequences of altered microbiota in immune-related chronic kidney disease” (opens in new tab), Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, vol. 36, pp. 1791-1798, 2020.
- Ferrey AJ, Choi G, Hanna RM, Chang Y, Tantisattamo E, Ivaturi K, Park E, Nguyen L, Wang B, Tonthat S, Rhee CM, Reddy U, Lau WL, Huang SS, Gohil S, Amin AN, Hsieh L, Cheng TT, Lee RA, Kalantar-Zadeh K, “A Case of Novel Coronavirus Disease 19 in a Chronic Hemodialysis Patient Presenting with Gastroenteritis and Developing Severe Pulmonary Disease” (opens in new tab), American Journal of Nephrology, vol. 51, pp. 337-342, 2020.
- Lertdumrongluk P, Streja E, Rhee CM, Moradi H, Chang Y, Reddy U, Tantisattamo E, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kopp JB, “Survival Advantage of African American Dialysis Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease Causes Related to APOL1” (opens in new tab), Cardiorenal Medicine, vol. 9, pp. 212-221, 2019.
- Yu J.Z., Rhee C.M., Ferrey A., Li A., Jin A., Chang Y., Reddy U., Lau W.L., Chou J., Inrig J., Kalantar-Zadeh K., “There's no place like home: 35-year patient survival on home hemodialysis” (opens in new tab), Seminars in Dialysis, vol. 31, pp. 300-304, 2018.
- Chang Y., Moradi H., Kalantar-Zadeh K., “Emerging paradigms of treating diabetic nephropathy” (opens in new tab), Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, vol. 6, pp. 912-913, 2018.
- Chang Y., Lau W.L., Jo H., Tsujino K., Gewin L., Reed N.I., Atakilit A., Nunes A.C., DeGrado W.F., Sheppard D., “Pharmacologic Blockade of α v β 1 Integrin Ameliorates Renal Failure and Fibrosis In Vivo” (opens in new tab), Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, vol. 28, pp. 1998-2005, 2017.
- Ferrey A., Fujitani R.M., Tran M.H., Chang Y., Lau W.L., “Successful Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Placement in a New End-Stage Renal Disease Patient with Combined Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Factor XI Deficiency”, Advances in Peritoneal Dialysis Conference on Peritoneal Dialysis, vol. 33, pp. 22-25, 2017.
- Sun K.H., Chang Y., Reed N., Sheppard D., “αSMA is an inconsistent marker of fibroblasts responsible for force dependent TGFβ activation or collagen production across multiple models of organ fibrosis” (opens in new tab), American Journal of Physiology Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, vol. 310, pp. L824-L836, 2016.
- Wang M., Chou J., Chang Y., Lau W.L., Reddy U., Rhee C.M., Chen J., Hao C., Kalantar-Zadeh K., “The role of low protein diet in ameliorating proteinuria and deferring dialysis initiation: what is old and what is new” (opens in new tab), Panminerva Medica, vol. 59, pp. 157-165, 2016.
- Hingdi S.M., Wang Y., Jones K.D., Nussbaum J.C., Chang Y., Masharani U., Bikle D., Shoback D.M., Hsiao E.C., “A case of hypercalcemia and overexpression of CYP27B1 in skeletal muscle lesions in a patient with HIV infection after cosmetic injections with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) for wasting” (opens in new tab), Calcified Tissue International, vol. 97, pp. 634-639, 2015.
- Chang Y., Mbeo G., Littman S.J., “Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome associated with concurrent bevacizumab, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin for cholangiocarcinoma” (opens in new tab), Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer, vol. 43, pp. 505-507, 2011.
- Nandrot E.F., Chang Y., Finnemann S.C., “αvβ5 integrin receptors at the apical surface of the RPE: one receptor, two functions” (opens in new tab), Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol. 613, pp. 369-375, 2008.
- Chang Y., Finnemann S.C., “Photoreceptor-RPE interactions: physiology and molecular mechanisms”, Visual Transduction and Non-Visual Light Perception, Vol. 4, The Humana Press Inc., 2008.
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Last updated on 6/2/2026.