Head, Endocrine Hypertension Group, Hudson; Monash Health and Monash University
Research focus: advancing best practice management of primary aldosteronism, a cause of hypertension, in Australia and internationally.
Associate Professor Jun Yang is a recipient of a 2024 Early and Mid-Career Researcher Award for Consumer and Community Involvement. This award recognises early and mid-career researchers for excellence in their field. Monash Partners spoke to Jun upon accepting this award.
Can you tell us about yourself, your research and career journey to date?
I am an endocrinologist-scientist passionate about creating change through “bench-to-bedside” translational research and implementing research outcomes in clinical practice.
I was awarded MBBS (first class honors, rank number 1 in year level) in November 2001 and PhD (Monash University) in February 2013. Since completing my PhD, my main research focus has been on primary aldosteronism, a common, potentially curable but grossly under-diagnosed cause of hypertension. I have established collaborations both nationally and internationally to harmonise research and implementation efforts, aimed at improving patient outcomes globally. Increased collaboration has driven my group’s upward trajectory in publication outputs, with 113 in the last 10 years (81 from 2021-24), including 22 first author, 34 senior author and 31 as part of international collaborations; FWCI 1.88. I am now ranked #1 in Australia and #4 in the world based on scholarly output on hyperaldosteronism (Scopus, 2019-24). The goal of my research program is to diagnose every case of primary aldosteronism, in all communities including the under-served, in the most time-efficient and cost-effective manner.
In my research journey, I have had multiple career disruptions due to maternity leave from 1/5/2010-24/12/2010 (to have my second child) and 1/10/2012-2/6/2013 (to have my third child). In the post-doctoral period, I worked part time to care for three young children while balancing research with a 0.2FTE clinical workload (as a consultant endocrinologist at Monash Health).
2013 – 2017 = 0.2 FTE in research (carer requirements)
2018 – 2020 = 0.5 FTE in research (carer requirements)
2021-2024 = 1.0 FTE
From PhD conferral in February 2013 to August 2024, I have worked the full time equivalent of 5.8 years in research.
Can you tell us about your achievements in the category of Consumer and Community Involvement?
This EMCR award is specifically focused on Consumer Engagement, which I prioritise in my research and clinical practice. Stories of people living with hypertension who struggle with blood pressure control for years without ever knowing the cause or afforded the opportunity for effective treatment (patient stories at www.primaryaldosteronism.org) are a constant source of motivation. I strive to support people who face such struggles and systematically address their challenges so that all affected individuals can benefit from a timely diagnosis.
My journey of consumer engagement started with an invitation in August 2019, from Dr Marianne Leenaerts (who has primary aldosteronism, PA), to assist in developing the business case for the Primary Aldosteronism Foundation, a patient-driven initiative dedicated to advancing standards of care for all affected individuals. I was then invited to chair the Patient Engagement Committee of the PA Foundation to lead research that involved consumers.
I also established contact with Mr John Clark and his team who manage the expanding Hyperaldosteronism Conn Syndrome Facebook Group (4,000+ international members) to expand the network of consumers who can inform our research and benefit from our research findings.
Inspired by Marianne and John who both reside in the USA, I then initiated the Australian PA Consumer Group to bring together passionate individuals around Australia, including First Nations members, who can guide and inform the research program with their local knowledge and experience. Our group currently has 10 dedicated consumer members, supported by the PA Centre of Research Excellence Project Officer.
Marianne, John and all members of the Australian PA Consumer Group have been variously involved in my research projects, as named associate investigators or consumer partners, with contributions at every stage of the research cycle, including:
- evaluating the methodology with a particular focus on participants’ well-being and patient-reported outcomes;
- participating in 6-12 monthly team meetings and end-of-study discussions to provide the consumer perspective;
- advising on the communication of study outcomes, especially patient education;
- identifying diverse opportunities for disseminating study results.
Collectively, we have achieved visible impact through:
- Publications – including co-publication of an educational piece featuring patients’ lived experience (Choy KW… Leenaerts M, Yang J. The BMJ, 2022); a community survey of consumers’ willingness to be tested for secondary causes of hypertension (Lai JH…Yang J. Internal Medicine Journal, 2022); and an international survey of 684 people with PA that exposed the burden of disease associated with high rates of diagnostic delay (Ananda R…Yang J. Hypertension, 2024).
- Successful research grant applications – consumers are named Investigators on MRFF Clinician Researchers grant (MRFAR000172, 2022-2025); MRFF Clinical Trials grant (MRF2022933, 2023-2027); NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence (APP2024615, 2023-2028); Western Australian Cohort Studies-Research Support Program (CIB co-lead, 2024-2027).
- Consumer-led projects – to understand the factors that influence the diagnosis of PA, Marianne initiated the “Barriers to PA Detection” study in collaboration with myself and a Mixed Methods researcher (supported by a donation from Marianne). More projects are being developed, including a patient-friendly APP to navigate the PA diagnostic journey.
- Media appearances – Mr David Wyatt, a consumer advocate from my clinic, shared his lived experience on the ABC Health Report with Norman Swan and Channel 7 News (alongside my report from a medical perspective). Ms Pamela Lincoln, another consumer advocate who first joined our group after hearing the Health Report, proactively sought a follow-up interview with Norman Swan.
- Patient education materials – consumers have been actively involved in reviewing and writing education materials freely available at: https://www.hudson.org.au/research-program/consep/#PA-printouts-for-patients
- Conference presentations – a consumer panel will be organised at the PA Symposium on Nov 13, in Adelaide (https://www.esa-srb-anzbms.org.au/primary-aldosteronism-symposium).
- Consumer lobbying – letters have been written by our consumers to local MPs, insurance companies, and the Health Minister, to raise awareness of PA. Meetings were arranged by a consumer with the Heart Foundation to identify collaborative opportunities.
- Industry/Professional organisation participation – Consumer representation at Industry Forums (e.g. DiaSorin stakeholder meeting) and within Professional organisations (e.g. consumer membership of the National Hypertension Taskforce).
In addition to engaging consumers with PA, broader community involvement is achieved through participation in community events organised by professional organisations such as the Heart Foundation, Hypertension Australia and International Society of Hypertension. For example, I have led the May Measurement Month campaign at Monash Health for the past four years to increase awareness of hypertension. Given that one in three adults in Australia have hypertension, this level of engagement is critical for empowering consumers to recognise the importance of blood pressure control and access the appropriate resources.
Why is support of early and mid-career researchers so important?
The funding environment is more and more competitive each year and may lead to the premature loss of EMCRs. Given that EMCRs play a crucial role in mentoring junior students in STEM, and serve as the backbone of the future of STEM, they must be supported to maintain a viable pipeline of research capacity.
What kind of support was the most beneficial to you/or you felt you needed as an early and mid-career researcher and what did it mean to you?
As an EMCR, the most beneficial support was research funding during my early post-doctoral years. It was impossible to maintain a track record with three young children under the age of five. Bridging support from the various organisations (e.g. Endocrine Society of Australia, RACP, Monash University School of Clinical Sciences, and Monash Partners) over several early post-doctoral years was absolutely crucial for me to continue in research. By maintaining my research momentum, and steadily producing outputs that led to gradual impact, I was then competitive enough for a NHMRC Investigator Grant, followed by an Ideas Grant, and several MRFF grants.
Why do you think awards like this are important for Early and Mid-Career Researchers?
The Monash Partners EMCR Awards recognise the achievements of early and mid-career researchers (EMCRs) while fostering network building across partner institutions. These awards emphasise the value of multidisciplinary collaboration, which is vital for advancing research. Additionally, they highlight the importance of involving consumers and the broader community in research initiatives, ensuring alignment with real-world needs and perspectives.
What are your future aspirations for your research/career?
My vision is for every individual with primary aldosteronism, including those from under-served communities, to benefit from an accurate diagnosis and timely targeted treatment.
Since establishing Victoria’s first dedicated Endocrine Hypertension Clinic in 2016 and building my Endocrine Hypertension Research group over the past four years, I have identified alarming gaps in the diagnosis and treatment of this neglected condition. Over the coming years, I will combine clinical and translational science research, while training the next generation of researchers, to address these gaps. In particular, I will expand the research to rural/remote, multicultural and First Nations communities to address geographic and cultural barriers to care. I will also continue national and international collaborations to harmonise implementation efforts for improved patient outcomes. Together with my research team and the inspirational consumer advocates, we will build enduring research and clinical capacity to tackle this public health challenge on a global scale.
