Alexandra Lee, PhD, MSPH

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Dr. Alexandra Lee, PhD, MSPH, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Geriatrics in the UCSF Department of Medicine. Her research focuses on diabetes in older adults and aims to understand how diabetes management approaches should change as people age and develop competing health priorities. Her work seeks to clarify the risks of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia in older adults, including the how these dysglycemic events may increase the risk of other geriatric outcomes, including falls, cognitive decline, functional impairment, and behavioral symptoms of dementia.

Prior to joining faculty at UCSF, Dr. Lee completed a post-doctoral fellowship in aging research with the UCSF Division of Geriatrics. She received her PhD in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, her MSPH in Epidemiology from Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and her BA from Amherst College.
Education
2021 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
PhD, 2017 - Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
MSPH, 2013 - Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
BA, 2009 - Music, Amherst College
Publications
  1. Growdon ME, Gan S, Yaffe K, Lee AK, Anderson TS, Muench U, Boscardin WJ, Steinman MA. New psychotropic medication use among Medicare beneficiaries with dementia after hospital discharge. 2022. PMID: 36514208


  2. Jing B, Boscardin WJ, Deardorff WJ, Jeon SY, Lee AK, Donovan AL, Lee SJ. Comparing Machine Learning to Regression Methods for Mortality Prediction Using Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Clinical Data. 2022. PMID: 35352701


  3. Anderson TS, Lee AK, Jing B, Lee S, Herzig SJ, Boscardin WJ, Fung K, Rizzo A, Steinman MA. Intensification of Diabetes Medications at Hospital Discharge and Clinical Outcomes in Older Adults in the Veterans Administration Health System. 2021. PMID: 34673963


  4. Lee AK, Jing B, Jeon SY, Boscardin WJ, Lee SJ. Predicting Life Expectancy to Target Cancer Screening Using Electronic Health Record Clinical Data. 2021. PMID: 34327653


  5. Bullen AL, Katz R, Jotwani V, Garimella PS, Lee AK, Estrella MM, Shlipak MG, Ix JH. Biomarkers of Kidney Tubule Health, CKD Progression, and Acute Kidney Injury in SPRINT (Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial) Participants. 2021. PMID: 33857535


  6. Miller LM, Rifkin D, Lee AK, Tamura MK, Pajewski NM, Weiner DE, Al-Rousan T, Shlipak M, Ix JH. Association of Urine Biomarkers of Kidney Tubular Injury and Dysfunction With Frailty Index and Cognitive Function in Persons with CKD in SPRINT. 2021. PMID: 33647393


  7. Jovanovich A, Ginsberg C, You Z, Katz R, Ambrosius WT, Berlowitz D, Cheung AK, Cho M, Lee AK, Punzi H, Rehman S, Roumie C, Supiano MA, Wright CB, Shlipak M, Ix JH, Chonchol M. FGF23, Frailty, and Falls in SPRINT. 2020. PMID: 33289072


  8. Echouffo-Tcheugui JB, Daya N, Lee AK, Tang O, Ndumele CE, Windham BG, Shah AM, Selvin E. Severe Hypoglycemia, Cardiac Structure and Function, and Risk of Cardiovascular Events Among Older Adults With Diabetes. Volume 44 of Issue 1. 2020. PMID: 33199469


  9. Warren B, Lee AK, Ballantyne CM, Hoogeveen RC, Pankow JS, Grams ME, Köttgen A, Selvin E. Associations of 1,5-Anhydroglucitol and 2-Hour Glucose with Major Clinical Outcomes in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Volume 5 of Issue 6. 2020. PMID: 32529222


  10. Jeon SY, Shi Y, Lee AK, Hunt L, Lipska K, Boscardin J, Lee S. Fingerstick Glucose Monitoring in Veterans Affairs Nursing Home Residents with Diabetes Mellitus. 2020. PMID: 33064879


  11. Lee AK, Juraschek SP, Windham BG, Lee CJ, Sharrett AR, Coresh J, Selvin E. Severe Hypoglycemia and Risk of Falls in Type 2 Diabetes: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Volume 43 of Issue 9. 2020. PMID: 32611607


  12. Lee AK, Woodward M, Wang D, Ohkuma T, Warren B, Sharrett AR, Williams B, Marre M, Hamet P, Harrap S, Mcevoy JW, Chalmers J, Selvin E. The Risks of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality Following Weight Change in Adults with Diabetes: Results from ADVANCE. Volume 105 of Issue 1. 2020. PMID: 31588504


  13. Florido R, Lee AK, McEvoy JW, Hoogeveen RC, Koton S, Vitolins MZ, Shenoy C, Russell SD, Blumenthal RS, Ndumele CE, Ballantyne CM, Joshu CE, Platz EA, Selvin E. Cancer Survivorship and Subclinical Myocardial Damage. Volume 188 of Issue 12. 2019. PMID: 30927355


  14. Garimella PS, Lee AK, Ambrosius WT, Bhatt U, Cheung AK, Chonchol M, Craven T, Hawfield AT, Jotwani V, Killeen A, Punzi H, Sarnak MJ, Wall BM, Ix JH, Shlipak MG. Markers of kidney tubule function and risk of cardiovascular disease events and mortality in the SPRINT trial. 2019. PMID: 31257404


  15. Lee AK, Katz R, Jotwani V, Garimella PS, Ambrosius WT, Cheung AK, Gren LH, Neyra JA, Punzi H, Raphael KL, Shlipak MG, Ix JH. Distinct Dimensions of Kidney Health and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Failure, and Mortality. 2019. PMID: 31378102


  16. Lee AK, Warren B, Liu C, Foti K, Selvin E. Number and Characteristics of US Adults Meeting Prediabetes Criteria for Diabetes Prevention Programs: NHANES 2007-2016. Volume 34 of Issue 8. 2019. PMID: 30859505


  17. Bullen AL, Katz R, Lee AK, Anderson CAM, Cheung AK, Garimella PS, Jotwani V, Haley WE, Ishani A, Lash JP, Neyra JA, Punzi H, Rastogi A, Riessen E, Malhotra R, Parikh CR, Rocco MV, Wall BM, Bhatt UY, Shlipak MG, Ix JH, Estrella MM. The SPRINT trial suggests that markers of tubule cell function in the urine associate with risk of subsequent acute kidney injury while injury markers elevate after the injury. 2019. PMID: 31262489


  18. Jotwani VK, Lee AK, Estrella MM, Katz R, Garimella PS, Malhotra R, Rifkin DE, Ambrosius W, Freedman BI, Cheung AK, Raphael KL, Drawz P, Neyra JA, Oparil S, Punzi H, Shlipak MG, Ix JH. Urinary Biomarkers of Tubular Damage Are Associated with Mortality but Not Cardiovascular Risk among Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial Participants with Chronic Kidney Disease. 2019. PMID: 30939472


  19. Johnson EL, Krauss GL, Lee AK, Schneider ALC, Kucharska-Newton AM, Huang J, Jack CR, Gottesman RF. Association between white matter hyperintensities, cortical volumes, and late-onset epilepsy. Volume 92 of Issue 9. 2019. PMID: 30804067


  20. Johnson EL, Krauss GL, Lee AK, Schneider ALC, Dearborn JL, Kucharska-Newton AM, Huang J, Alonso A, Gottesman RF. Association Between Midlife Risk Factors and Late-Onset Epilepsy: Results From the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Volume 75 of Issue 11. 2018. PMID: 30039175


  21. Warren B, Lee AK, Ballantyne CM, Hoogeveen RC, Pankow JS, Grams M, Köttgen A, Selvin E. Diagnostic Performance of 1,5-Anhydroglucitol Compared to 2-H Glucose in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Volume 64 of Issue 10. 2018. PMID: 30087139


  22. Lee AK, Rawlings AM, Lee CJ, Gross AL, Huang ES, Sharrett AR, Coresh J, Selvin E. Severe hypoglycaemia, mild cognitive impairment, dementia and brain volumes in older adults with type 2 diabetes: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study. Volume 61 of Issue 9. 2018. PMID: 29961106


  23. Selvin E, Wang D, Lee AK, Coresh J, Bergenstal RM. Identifying Trends in Undiagnosed Diabetes in U.S. Adults. Volume 168 of Issue 12. 2018. PMID: 29913500


  24. Warren B, Rebholz CM, Sang Y, Lee AK, Coresh J, Selvin E, Grams ME. Diabetes and Trajectories of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate: A Prospective Cohort Analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Volume 41 of Issue 8. 2018. PMID: 29858211


  25. Lee AK, Warren B, Lee CJ, McEvoy JW, Matsushita K, Huang ES, Sharrett AR, Coresh J, Selvin E. The Association of Severe Hypoglycemia With Incident Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. Volume 41 of Issue 1. 2017. PMID: 29127240


  26. Selvin E, Wang D, Lee AK, Bergenstal RM, Coresh J. Identifying Trends in Undiagnosed Diabetes in U.S. Adults by Using a Confirmatory Definition: A Cross-sectional Study. Volume 167 of Issue 11. 2017. PMID: 29059691


  27. Lee AK, Lee CJ, Huang ES, Sharrett AR, Coresh J, Selvin E. Risk Factors for Severe Hypoglycemia in Black and White Adults With Diabetes: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Volume 40 of Issue 12. 2017. PMID: 28928117


  28. Warren B, Rawlings AM, Lee AK, Grams M, Coresh J, Selvin E. Increases in Biomarkers of Hyperglycemia With Age in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Volume 40 of Issue 8. 2017. PMID: 28507023


  29. Lee AK, McEvoy JW, Hoogeveen RC, Ballantyne CM, Selvin E. Severe Hypoglycemia and Elevated High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T in Older Adults With Diabetes: The ARIC Study. Volume 68 of Issue 12. 2016. PMID: 27634129


  30. Quan J, Lee AK, Handley MA, Ratanawongsa N, Sarkar U, Tseng S, Schillinger D. Automated Telephone Self-Management Support for Diabetes in a Low-Income Health Plan: A Health Care Utilization and Cost Analysis. Volume 18 of Issue 6. 2015. PMID: 26102298


  31. Lee AK, Schieb LJ, Yuan K, Maalouf J, Gillespie C, Cogswell ME. Sodium content in packaged foods by census division in the United States, 2009. Volume 12. 2015. PMID: 25837256


  32. Lee AK, Binongo JN, Chowdhury R, Stein AD, Gazmararian JA, Vos MB, Welsh JA. Consumption of less than 10% of total energy from added sugars is associated with increasing HDL in females during adolescence: a longitudinal analysis. Volume 3 of Issue 1. 2014. PMID: 24572253