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

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

“Primary Aldosteronism (PA), or Conn Syndrome, is the most commonly under-diagnosed cause of high blood pressure affecting millions of people. My goal is to facilitate the diagnosis of every case of PA and make treatment widely available to all communities including the disadvantaged.”  Associate Professor Yang

A/Prof Yang is an endocrine hypertension researcher and clinician who has demonstrated the high prevalence of Primary Aldosteronism (PA) in the community and is now leading research to enable early diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

One in 10 patients with hypertension have PA but it is often misdiagnosed as conventional hypertension – less than one in 100 patients are diagnosed correctly. As a result, patients are given the wrong treatment and suffer preventable heart disease or stroke. PA is a form of high blood pressure caused by overactive adrenal glands that make too much aldosterone, a salt-retaining hormone, which leads to high blood pressure as well as heart and kidney damage. Correctly diagnosed, PA and the consequent hypertension can be treated or cured with surgery.

Read more about my research

Over a 10-year period (2010-2020) A/Prof Yang has developed diagnostic and management guidelines for primary aldosteronism at Monash Health that has led to a 40-fold increase in the number of patients diagnosed.

In 2016 A/Prof Yang established the first dedicated Endocrine Hypertension Service in Victoria, integrating medical research findings into clinical practice. She is currently leading national and international efforts to streamline the diagnosis and management of PA, including leading a network of researchers to formulate problem solving strategies across Australia.

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

A/Prof Yang has been awarded more than $8 million in grant funding from National government agencies (MRFF and NHRMC), as well as philanthropic bodies including the Heart Foundation and Rebecca Cooper Foundation.

A/Prof Yang contributes to the Endocrine Society of Australia as the Co-Chair of its Annual Scientific Meeting (2023-2025); and the Endocrine Society (US) as a member of its Annual Meeting Steering Committee (2024-2026).

“My main interest lies in the translation of primary aldosteronism research into revised clinical guidelines, improved diagnostic tools and transformed practice to help patients. In addition, I am identifying the earliest point of disease occurrence with the aim of enabling earlier intervention and return to health.”

Education

2010FellowshipRoyal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP)Melbourne
1996 – 2001MBBSMonash UniversityMelbourne

Awards and Fellowships

2022FinalistVictorian Public Healthcare Awards
2018Early Career FellowshipSchool of Clinical Sciences, Monash University
2016Postdoctoral Research AwardESA Ken Wynne Memorial
2014Research Establishment FellowshipRACP Foundation for High Blood Pressure

Affiliations

Associate ProfessorDepartment of Medicine, Monash University
Consultant Endocrinologist, Monash Health

Google scholar

ORCID

Twitter

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.