Chi-yuan Hsu

Chi-yuan Hsu, MD, MS, is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Nephrology at UCSF Health. He holds the Dr. Robert W. Schrier Distinguished Professorship in Nephrology. His research focuses on acute, chronic, and end-stage kidney diseases, with an emphasis on clinical trials and observational studies. Dr. Hsu’s work bridges nephrology, epidemiology, and public health, addressing kidney disease progression, hypertension, and disparities in care. He has led studies in the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) and contributed to initiatives like the APOL1 Long-term Kidney Transplantation Outcomes Network (APOLLO).

Education & Training:

• Yale College, B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (1989)
• Yale University, M.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry (1989)
• Harvard Medical School, M.D. (1993)
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Fellowship in Nephrology (1998)
• Harvard School of Public Health, M.Sc. in Epidemiology (1999)
• UCSF, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training (2018)

Research Interests:

Dr. Hsu investigates the interplay between acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly how hospitalization and biomarkers influence disease trajectories. His work explores kidney function measurement, including race-free GFR equations, and clinical outcomes like hypertension and cardiovascular events. He also studies disparities in care and genetic factors (e.g., APOL1 variants) affecting kidney health.

Grants & Funding:

• NIH R01AR084815: NonInvasive Virtual Biopsy for Bone Turnover in CKD
• NIH R01DK123104: Home Blood Pressure in Hemodialysis (HOME-BP)
• NIH R01DK122797: Conservative Dialysis to Enhance AKI Recovery (CODE-AKI)
• NIH R01DK114014: Acute Kidney Injury in CKD Patients

Awards & Honors:

• Member, American Society for Clinical Investigation (2011–)
• Marin Magazine Top Doctor (2012, 2013, 2016, 2019)
• Clinical Research Forum Top 10 Award (2022)

Labs & Teams:

Dr. Hsu leads the CRIC Study and collaborates with the APOLLO Network. His lab integrates clinical, epidemiological, and genomic data to advance kidney disease understanding and care equity.