Alexandra Lee, PhD, MSPH

Assistant Adjunct Professor

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. Gilliam LK, Parker MM, Moffet HH, Lee AK, Karter AJ. Continuous Glucose Monitor Metrics Are Associated with Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations for Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia, but Have Low Predictive Value. Diabetes technology & therapeutics 2024. PMID: 38277155


  2. Lee AK, Lee SJ, Dublin S. Addressing the unique challenges in studies of long-term medication use and dementia risk. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2023. PMID: 37676467


  3. Moffet HH, Huang ES, Liu JY, Parker MM, Lipska KJ, Laiteerapong N, Grant RW, Lee AK, Karter AJ. Severe hypoglycemia and falls in older adults with diabetes: The Diabetes & Aging Study. Diabetes epidemiology and management 2023. PMID: 37920602


  4. Hunt LJ, Gan S, Smith AK, Aldridge MD, Boscardin WJ, Harrison KL, James JE, Lee AK, Yaffe K. Hospice Quality, Race, and Disenrollment in Hospice Enrollees with Dementia. Journal of palliative medicine 2023. PMID: 37010377


  5. Hunt LJ, Covinsky KE, Cenzer I, Espejo E, Boscardin WJ, Leutwyler H, Lee AK, Cataldo J. The Epidemiology of Smoking in Older Adults: A National Cohort Study. Journal of general internal medicine 2022. PMID: 36538157


  6. 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. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2022. PMID: 36514208


  7. Nguyen B, Deardorff WJ, Shi Y, Jing B, Lee AK, Lee SJ. Fingerstick glucose monitoring by cognitive impairment status in Veterans Affairs nursing home residents with diabetes. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2022. PMID: 35924668


  8. Lee AK, Diaz-Ramirez LG, Boscardin WJ, Smith AK, Lee SJ. A comprehensive prognostic tool for older adults: Predicting death, ADL disability, and walking disability simultaneously. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2022. PMID: 35792836


  9. Deardorff WJ, Jing B, Jeon SY, Boscardin WJ, Lee AK, Fung KZ, Lee SJ. Do functional status and Medicare claims data improve the predictive accuracy of an electronic health record mortality index? Findings from a national Veterans Affairs cohort. 2022. PMID: 35585537


  10. 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


  11. 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


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


  13. 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. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2021. PMID: 33857535


  14. 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. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation 2021. PMID: 33647393


  15. 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. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2020. PMID: 33289072


  16. 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. Diabetes care 2020. PMID: 33199469


  17. 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. The journal of applied laboratory medicine 2020. PMID: 32529222


  18. 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. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2020. PMID: 33064879


  19. Lee AK, Steinman MA, Lee SJ. Improving the American Diabetes Association Framework for individualizing treatment in older adults: evaluating life expectancy. Volume 8 of Issue 1. BMJ open diabetes research & care 2020. PMID: 32988850


  20. 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. Diabetes care 2020. PMID: 32611607


  21. 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. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2020. PMID: 31588504


  22. 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. American journal of epidemiology 2019. PMID: 30927355


  23. 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. European heart journal 2019. PMID: 31257404


  24. 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. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) 2019. PMID: 31378102


  25. 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. Journal of general internal medicine 2019. PMID: 30859505


  26. 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. Kidney international 2019. PMID: 31262489


  27. Madan N, Lee AK, Matsushita K, Hoogeveen RC, Ballantyne CM, Selvin E, McEvoy JW. Relation of Isolated Systolic Hypertension and Pulse Pressure to High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin-T and N-Terminal pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Older Adults (from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study). Volume 124 of Issue 2. The American journal of cardiology 2019. PMID: 31088661


  28. 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. American journal of nephrology 2019. PMID: 30939472


  29. 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. Neurology 2019. PMID: 30804067


  30. 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. JAMA neurology 2018. PMID: 30039175


  31. 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. Clinical chemistry 2018. PMID: 30087139


  32. 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. Diabetologia 2018. PMID: 29961106


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


  34. 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. Diabetes care 2018. PMID: 29858211


  35. 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. Diabetes care 2017. PMID: 29127240


  36. 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. Annals of internal medicine 2017. PMID: 29059691


  37. 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. Diabetes care 2017. PMID: 28928117


  38. 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. Diabetes care 2017. PMID: 28507023


  39. 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. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2016. PMID: 27634129


  40. Lee AK, Chowdhury R, Welsh JA. Sugars and adiposity: the long-term effects of consuming added and naturally occurring sugars in foods and in beverages. Volume 1 of Issue 1. Obesity science & practice 2015. PMID: 27774248


  41. 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. Population health management 2015. PMID: 26102298


  42. 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. Preventing chronic disease 2015. PMID: 25837256


  43. 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. Journal of the American Heart Association 2014. PMID: 24572253