Dr Jun Yang from the Cardiovascular Endocrinology Research Group at Hudson Institute

Associate Professor Jun Yang, MBBS FRACP PhD, Research Scientist, Cardiovascular Endocrinology

Associate Professor Jun Yang (MBBS, PhD, FRACP) is a clinician-researcher who heads the Endocrine Hypertension Group at Hudson Institute of Medical Research.  She is also a Research Fellow in the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash University and a Consultant Endocrinologist at Monash Health.

Since graduating with a MBBS (Hons, rank number 1) from Monash University, she has been actively involved in basic and clinical research as well as clinical practice.  She undertook PhD studies with Dr Morag Young, Dr Colin Clyne and Professor Peter Fuller at Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, now Hudson Institute, from 2008-2013. Her PhD thesis, entitled ‘Mineralocorticoid receptors (MR): mechanisms of ligand- and tissue-specific activation’, identified and characterised novel coregulators of the MR using a novel phage display technique in addition to cell culture work and gene expression assays.

In addition to laboratory-based research, A/Prof Yang established the Endocrine Hypertension Service at Monash Health and Hudson Institute with Professor Peter Fuller. She developed the Monash Health guidelines for the management of primary aldosteronism (PA) in 2010 and has since expanded the PA research program including collaborations with centres in America as a part of the American-Asian-Australian-Adrenal- Alliance (A5), Europe (Germany, Italy, Netherlands) and Asia (China, Taiwan). In December 2018, A/Prof Yang formed the Primary Aldosteronism Centre of Excellence (PACE) to consolidate the capabilities of a team of dedicated hypertension researchers within Australia to drive impactful change in the clinical management of PA.

A/Prof Yang’s research has been continuously supported by Post-Doctoral Fellowships and Project Grants in excess of $2M from the Endocrine Society of Australia, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Heart Foundation, Council for High Blood Pressure Research Australia, CASS Foundation, Rebecca Cooper Foundation, Collier Charitable Foundation, Monash University,  Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation, MRFF and NHMRC.

By developing a research program where  the research is embedded in clinical service and supported by a capable team of committed academics, clinicians, scientists and students, A/Prof Yang strives to enhance the culture of ‘bedside to bench, and vice versa’ translational medicine, and allow the integration of cutting edge science into day-to-day healthcare.

High blood pressure and primary aldosteronism explained

VIEW VIDEO | Associate Professor Jun Yang discusses her research in primary aldosteronism, a common, potentially curable but often neglected form of high blood pressure.

Selected publications

  • Wang K*, Hu J*, Yang J*, Song Y, Fuller PJ, Hashimura H, He W, Feng , Cheng Q, Du Z, Wang Z, Ma L, Yang S, Li Q (2020) Development and validation of criteria for sparing confirmatory tests in diagnosing primary aldosteronism. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 105, Issue 7, July 2020, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa282 (* equal first authors).

  • Fuller PJ, Yao YZ, Yang J, Young MJ (2020) Structural Determinants of Activation of the Mineralocorticoid Receptor: an Evolutionary Perspective. Journal of Human Hypertension (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-020-0360-2.

  • Chee NYN, Abdul-Wahab A, Libianto R, Gwini SM, Doery JCG, Choy KW, Chong W, Lau KK, Lam Q, MacIsaac RJ, Chiang C, Shen J, Young MJ, Fuller PJ, Yang J (2020) Utility of adrenocorticotropic hormone in adrenal vein sampling despite the occurrence of discordant lateralization. Clinical Endocrinology 2020 May 13. doi: 10.1111/cen.14220.

  • Lim YY, Libianto R, Shen J, Young MJ, Fuller PJ, Yang J (2020) Impact of Victoria’s first dedicated Endocrine Hypertension Service on the pattern of primary aldosteronism diagnoses. Internal Medicine Journal 2020 May 3. doi: 10.1111/imj.14879.

  • Solanki P, Gwini SM, Doery JCG, Choy KW, Shen J, Young MJ, Fuller PJ, Yang J (2020) Age and sex-specific reference ranges are needed for the Aldosterone/Renin Ratio. Clinical Endocrinology 2020 April 19. https://doi.org/10.1111/cen.14199.

  • Libianto R, Fuller PJ, Young M, Yang J (2020) Primary aldosteronism is a public health issue: challenges and opportunities. Journal of Human Hypertension 34, 478–486. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-020-0336-2.

  • Xu Z*, Yang J*, Song Y, Luo T, Hu J, Cheng Q, Ma L, Luo R, Fuller PJ, Cai J, Yang S, Li Q (2020) Prevalence, characteristics and outcomes of primary aldosteronism in newly diagnosed hypertensives in China. Journal of the American College of Cardiologists Volume 75, Issue 16, April 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.02.052 (* equal first authors).

  • Gurgenci T, Geraghty S, Wolley M, Yang J (2020) Screening for primary aldosteronism: how to adjust existing anti-hypertensive treatment to avoid diagnostic errors. The Australian Journal of General Practice. Mar;49(3):127-131. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-07-19-4995.

  • Yang J, Fuller P (2020) Simplifying the Diagnosis of Primary Aldosteronism. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Apr 1;105(4). pii: dgz202. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgz202.

  • Rossi GP, Rossitto G, Amar L, Azizi M, Riester A, Reincke M, Degenhart C, Widimsky J Jr, Naruse M, Deinum J, Schultze Kool L, Kocjan T, Negro A, Rossi E, Kline G, Tanabe A, Satoh F, Christian Rump L, Vonend O, Willenberg HS, Fuller PJ, Yang J, Chee NYN, Magill SB, Shafigullina Z, Quinkler M, Oliveras A, Dun Wu K, Wu VC, Kratka Z, Barbiero G, Battistel M, Chang CC, Vanderriele PE, Pessina AC (2019) Clinical Outcomes of 1625 Patients With Primary Aldosteronism Subtyped With Adrenal Vein Sampling. Hypertension. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.119.13463.

  • Yang J, Fuller PJ and Stowasser M (2018) Is it time to screen all hypertensives for primary aldosteronism? Medical Journal of Australia. Jul 16;209(2):57-59. – co-authored with Prof Michael Stowasser, an international doyen of PA research.

  • Hashimura H, Shen J, Fuller PJ, Chee NYN, Doery JCG, Chong W, Choy KW, Gwini S, Yang J (2018) Saline suppression test parameters may predict bilateral subtypes of primary aldosteronism. Clinical Endocrinology (Oxf). 2018 Jun 6. doi: 10.1111/cen.13757.

  • Yang J, Shen J and Fuller PJ (2017) A practical approach to diagnosing endocrine hypertension. Nephrology. 22(9):663-677.

  • Yang J, Safi R, Chang C, Fuller PJ, McDonnell DP, Clyne CD and Young MJ (2011) Identification of ligand-specific peptide antagonists of the mineralocorticoid receptor using phage display. Molecular Endocrinology. 25(1):32-43.

  • Yang J, Morag J Young. (2009) The mineralocorticoid receptor and its coregulators. Journal of Molecular Endocrinology. 43(2):53-64.