OUR PEOPLE
Academic Credentials
- Sc.D., Epidemiology, Harvard University, 2003
- B.A., English, Harvard University, 1998
Academic Appointments
- Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 2021-
- Visiting Professor, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 2019-2022
Professional Honors
- National Cancer Institute Minority Investigators Workshop on Behavioral Methodologies Fellowship
- New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) Science Alliance Program Membership
- National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)/Science Program for Excellence in Science Membership
- Harvard University Sheldon Traveling Fellowship
- Harvard School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology Seiden Scholarship
- Harvard University Pforzheimer Public Service Fellowship
- National Cancer Institute/Harvard School of Public Health Cancer Epidemiology Pre-Doctoral Training Program Fellowship
Professional Affiliations
- American College of Epidemiology (Fellow)
- Society for Epidemiologic Research
Dr. Chang has more than two decades of experience in designing, conducting, and interpreting epidemiologic studies, with a particular focus on studies of cancer and other chronic diseases. She provides scientific consultation on the potential human health effects of various chemicals (such as dioxins, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS]), air pollutants, metals and metalloids, fibers, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, consumer products, electromagnetic fields, and nutrients. She has expertise in qualitatively and quantitatively synthesizing the weight of epidemiologic evidence on causal effects of environmental exposures. Dr. Chang's recent projects include evaluations of the epidemiologic evidence on PFAS, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in association with cancer, immune outcomes, and other health conditions; diesel engine exhaust in association with lung cancer mortality; glyphosate, TCDD, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene in association with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers; benzene in association with leukemia; talc in association with mesothelioma; fine particulate matter, ozone, and oxides of nitrogen in association with all-cause and cause-specific mortality; and organophosphate insecticides in association with birth and developmental outcomes. Dr. Chang also frequently conducts and coordinates analyses of cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in population-based cancer registries, and investigates potential cancer clusters in communities, schools, and workplaces.
Dr. Chang has led original research studies of cancers of the head and neck, nasopharynx, stomach, liver, lung and bronchus, skin, breast, uterus, ovary, prostate, thyroid, and lymphatic system. These studies focused on a wide range of exposures including genetic variation, physical activity, body size, diet and nutrition, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, ultraviolet radiation, immunologic biomarkers, microbial infections, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and other medications, use of hormone therapy and oral contraceptives, reproductive factors, medical history, family structure, and demographic characteristics. In addition, Dr. Chang has conducted cancer surveillance research at one of the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries, and contributed to community-based research on hepatitis B and liver cancer awareness, detection, prevention, and medical management at the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. Dr. Chang earned her undergraduate degree in English and American literature and language from Harvard College. She earned her Sc.D. (Doctor of Science) in epidemiology with a minor in biostatistics from the Harvard School of Public Health, and she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Karolinska Institute. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco, and a Visiting Professor at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. She is a former Consulting Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Research and Policy at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and a former member of the Stanford Cancer Institute. Dr. Chang has published more than 200 peer-reviewed research articles and reviews, and 12 book chapters.
