Howard Chang

M.D., Ph.D.
Professor

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Biography
Biography: 

Dr. Howard Chang graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor degree in biology in 1976.  He worked for approximately 9 months as a research technician in the Endocrine Department at Massachusetts General Hospital, and then began graduate studies in the Department of Anatomy at Wayne State University in Detroit. Upon the relocation of his mentor, Dr. Kitai, who became the chairman of Anatomy at Michigan State University, Howard also became a Spartan in 1978 and earned his Ph.D. degree in Anatomy (neuroanatomy) from MSU in 1981.  Dr. Chang moved to Memphis in 1982, first as a postdoctoral fellow, and later, a tenure tract faculty in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Tennessee in Memphis doing neuroanatomy and neurophysiology research studies of the basal forebrain in laboratory animals (degeneration of these areas are seen in dementia patients). 

After his promotion to tenured Associated Professor in 1991, Dr. Chang decided to change his career path to become a medical student in 1992 in the same school.  Upon graduating with a medical degree in 1996, he began 3 years of Anatomic Pathology residency training at Mass General Hospital and followed with 2 years of Neuropathology fellowship at Rhode Island Hospital (Providence, RI).  He was hired in 2001 as a neuropathologist at the SUNY-Upstate Medical University in Syracuse where he collaborated on spinal cord injury-repair research projects. 

Through a fortuitous opportunity, Dr. Chang was recruited by Dr. David Kaufman back to East Lansing in 2006 as a faculty member of the Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology at Michigan State University, and as a Neuropathologist at Sparrow Hospital, where he has happily remained since. 

Awards
Awards: 
Educator of the Year, Neurology Residency, Michigan State University / Sparrow Health System (2016)
Educator of the Year, Neurology Residency, Michigan State University / Sparrow Health System (2009)
Excellence in Teaching, Department of Neurology, SUNY-Upstate Medical University (2005)
Publications
Selected Publications: 
Conway R., Kaluza V., Schwartz K., Chang HT. (2016) A 77-year old woman with a right cerebellar lesion. Brain Pathology Case of the Month (submitted).
Vaubel RA, Chang HT, Fritchie K, Abell-Aleff PC, and Jentoft M. (2016) Epithelioid Schwannoma of a Spinal Cord. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences 43:430-3.
Taylor IC, Hutt-Cabezas M, Yadavilli S, Kambhampati M, Nazarian J, Chang HT, Warren K, Eberhart CG, Raabe EH. (2015) Disrupting NOTCH suppresses diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma growth, restores radiation sensitivity, and shows combinatorial efficacy with bromodomain inhibition. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2015 Aug;74(8):778-90. PMID: 26115193
Schwartz K, Chang HT, Nikolai M, Pernicone J, Rhee S, Olson K, Kurniali P, Hord N, Noel M. Treatment of glioma patients with ketogenic diets: report of 2 cases treated with an IRB approved energy restricted ketogenic diet protocol and review of the literature. Cancer & Metabolism (2015) 3:3. PMID 25806103
Farooq MU, Bhatt A, Chang HT. An uncommon cause of transient neurological dysfunction. The Neurohospitalist 2014 Jul;4(3):136-40. doi: 10.1177/1941874413505854, first published on-line October 9, 2013 PMID: 24982718.
Chang HT, Olson LK, Schwartz KA. Ketolytic and glycolytic enzymatic expression profiles in malignant gliomas: Implication for ketogenic diet therapy. Nutrition & Metabolism (2013) 10:47.
Chandana SR, Kotecha R, Al-Janadi A, Chang HT, Conley BA. Rare case of hairy cell leukemia with brain parenchymal involvement: a diagnostic dilemma. J Clin Oncol. 2013 Apr 10;31(11):e186-8. Epub 2013 Feb 25.
Jentoft ME; Scheithauer BW, Bertoni F, Abood C, Chang, HT. Calcifying pseudoneoplasm of the neuraxis with single nerve rootlet involvement. Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences (2012) 39: 840-842
Chang HT, Rumbeiha WK, Patterson JS, Puschner B, Knight A. Toxic Equine Parkinsonism: An immunohistochemical study of 10 horses with nigropallidal encephalomalacia. Vet. Pathology (2012) 49:398- 402.
Yu L, Krishnamurthy S, Chang H, Wasenko JJ. Congenital Maturing Immature Intraventricular Teratoma. Clinical Imaging (2010) 34:222-225.
Makol A, Kosuri K, Calaca WD, Tamkus D, Chang HT. Lymphomatoid granulomatosis masquerading as interstitial pneumonia in a 66-year-old man: A case report and review of literature. Journal of Hematology & Oncology (2009) 2:39. Published online 2009 September 4.
Chang HT, Cuison RV, Gera R, Saah E, Scott-Emuakpor A, Abood C. 6-year-old girl with hydrocephalus. Brain Pathol. (2009) 19:725-6. Brain Pathology Case of the Month April 2009 (Anaplastic tectal glioma).
Farooq MU, Bhatt A, Chang HT. Hemorrhagic colloid cyst in a 9-year-old girl. Pediatr Neurol. 2008;38:443-4.
Farooq MU, Bhatt A, Chang HT. Teaching neuroimage: spindle cell oncocytoma of the pituitary gland. Neurology. 2008;71:e3.
Farooq MU, Samaraweera R, Heilman T, Chang HT. Spinal cavernous angiolipoma. Arch Neurol. 2008;65:981- 2.
Farooq MU, Chang HT. Intracranial and scalp metastasis of endometrial carcinoma. Med Sci Monit. 2008;14:CS87-8.
Bhatt A, Farooq MU, Chang HT. A 27-year old female with a lytic skull lesion. Acta Neurol Belg. 2008;108:33- 4.
Shah S, Schelper RL, Krishnamurthy S, Chang HT. An 11-year-old boy with an incidental mass in the left lateral cerebellum. Neuropathology. 2007;27:95-7.
Chang HT. Subacute human spinal cord contusion: few lymphocytes and many macrophages. Spinal Cord. 2007;45:174-82.
Quintero M, Mirza N, Chang H, Perl A. Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome associated with primary angiitis of the central nervous system: report of two biopsy proven cases. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006;65:408-9.
Kinghorn KJ, Crowther DC, Sharp LK, Nerelius C, Davis RL, Chang HT, Green C, Gubb DC, Johansson J, Lomas DA. Neuroserpin binds Abeta and is a neuroprotective component of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer disease. J Biol Chem. 2006;281:29268-77.
Chang HT, Latorre JG, Hahn S, Dubowy R, Schelper RL. Pediatric cerebellar pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma with anaplastic features: a case of long-term survival after multimodality therapy. Childs Nerv Syst. 2006;22:609-13.
Chandan VS, Schelper RL, Shrimpton A, Hutchison RE, Chang HT. A 33-year-old man with multiple ringenhancing lesions in the brain. Neuropathology. 2006;26:94-7.
Ramachandran TS., Zachariah SB, Agrawal VK, Parikh SL, Swarnkar A, Chang HT. (2006) "Alzheimer Disease." eMedicine Journal [serial online], at: http://www.emedicine.com/radio/topic22.htm
Jung S, Schelper RL, Visvesvara GS, Chang HT. Balamuthia mandrillaris meningoencephalitis in an immunocompetent patient: an unusual clinical course and a favorable outcome. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2004;128:466-8.
Education
Education and Professional Positions: 
M.D., University of Tennessee College of Medicine; Memphis, TN 1996
Ph.D., Anatomy, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 1981
A.B., Biology, Cornell University; Ithaca, NY 1976
Abstracts
Selected Abstracts: 
Shaik M, Schwartz K, Chang HT, Olson K, Noel M (2015) Evaluation of metabolic enzyme expression as predictors of survival in aggressive gliomas. SNO Annual Meeting
Vaubel RA, Chang H, Fritchie K, and Jentoft M. (2014) Epithelioid Schwannoma of the Spinal Cord. American Association of Neuropathologists 90th Annual Meeting (Portland, OR) J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 73:609.
Taylor IC, Hutt-Cabezas M, Weingart M, Warren K, Chang H, Nazarian J, Eberhart CG, Raabe EH. (2014) Dual targeting of mTOR and Notch disrupts growth and promotes apoptosis in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2014. Abstract Number 3099
Antonio-Santos AA, Phillips Y, El Khatib B, Chang HT, Kaufman DI, Eggenberger ER (2014) It’s déjà vu all over again (Erdheim-Chester Disease: Secondary malignancies may occur in Erdheim-Chester Disease contrary to the rule of parsimony. Therapies may buy quality time now at the expense of future issues.) 40th Annual NANOS (North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society) Meeting, 3/1-3/6/2014.
Hutt M, Goldstein W, Nazarian J, Price A, Lim KJ, Warren K, Chang H, Eberhart CG, Raabe EH (2013) Targeting the Notch and mTOR pathways in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5049.
Chang H, Olson L, Schwartz K, (2013) Expression of ketolytic and glycolytic enzymes in malignant gliomas: Implication for ketogenic diet therapy. American Association of Neuropathologists 89th Annual Meeting (Charleston, SC). J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 72:565-566.
Nikolai M, Noel M, Schwartz KA, Kurniali PC, Chang HT, Olson LK. (2013) Energy restricted ketogenic diet (ERKD) treatment for advanced glioblastoma multiforme (GBM): Case report. Experimental Biology 2013, Boston, MA
Chang HT, Olson LK, Schwartz KA, (2013) Metabolic profiles of ketolysis and glycolysis in malignant gliomas: possible predictors of response to ketogenic diet therapy. Annual Meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Chicago, IL. e13048 (The publish-only abstracts will appear on www.asco.org and www.jco.org in a fully searchable format beginning May 15, 2013 at 6:00 PM EDT.)
Hutt M, Nazarian J, Price A, Lim KJ, Warren K, Chang HT, Eberhart CG, Raabe EH (2012) Targeting the Notch and mTOR pathways in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. (Pediatric Society of Neurooncology) Pediatric Neuro- Oncology Basic and Translational Research Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida Neuro Oncol. 2012 Oct; 14(Suppl 6): vi116–vi119.
Hutt M, Lim KJ, Warren K, Chang H, Eberhart CG, Raabe EH (2012) Blockade of the notch pathway in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma Neuro Oncol. 2012 Jun; 14(Suppl 1): i26–i32. PG22
Hutt M, Lim KJ, Warren K, Chang HT, Eberhart CG, Raabe EH (2012) High-level activation of the Notch pathway in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2480
Chang HT, Olson LK, Schwartz KA, (2012) Differential expression of ketone metabolizing enzymes in malignant gliomas: implication for ketogenic diet therapy American Association of Neuropathologists Annual Meeting (Chicago, IL). J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 71:568.
Chang HT, (2011) Brain Biopsy of Susac’s Syndrome: a case report. American Association of Neuropathologists Annual Meeting (Seattle, WA). J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 70:543.
Chang HT, (2010) Intrathecal ossifying neurothekeoma or nodular arachnoiditis ossificans: A case report. American Association of Neuropathologists Annual Meeting (Philadelphia, PA). J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 69:560.
Chang HT, Dyme IZ, Conway RL, Netzloff ML. (2009) Pediatric macrophagic myofasciitis in a patient with ATRX syndrome, without evidence of aluminum inclusions: A case report. American Association of Neuropathologists Annual Meeting (San Antonio TX). J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 68:580.
Mian S, Gossain V, Chang HT. (2009) Hypothyroidism and pituitary hyperplasia: a case report. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Annual Meeting (Houston, TX)
Chang HT, Rumbeiha WK, Patterson JS, Puschner B, Knight A, Goudreau J, Lookingland KJ. (2008) Revisiting the neuropathology of equine nigropallidal encephalomalacia: A novel animal model for environmental etiology of Parkinson disease? Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting (Washington DC)
Chang HT, Schelper RL. (2007) Pediatric meningeal sarcoma: Report of a case with long survival. J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 66:440.
Chang HT, Schelper RL. (2006) Human spinal cord injury research: a proposal for a consortium of tissue banks. Brain Pathology 16:S76
Chang HT, Holsapple JW, Souid A-K, Schelper RL. (2006) Malignant pediatric leptomeningeal oligodendrogliomatosis: a case report. Brain Pathology 16:S18.
Chang HT, Schelper RL, (2005) Astrocyte atypia associated with gamma knife and whole brain radiation therapy. J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 64:453.
Shah S, Schelper RL, Chang HT. (2005) Pediatric cerebellar oligodendroglioma: report of a rare case and review of the literature. J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 64:456.
Schelper RL, Landas SK, Chang HT. (2004) Tanycytoma of the spinal cord of an adult. J. Neuropath Exp Neurol. 63:536.
Hahn SS, Schelper RL, Montgomery CT, Chang HT, Haq R. (2004) Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) related pathologic changes in a patient with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 12th International Meeting of Leksell Gamma Knife Society (Vienna, Austria) in May, 2004.
Book Chapters
Book Chapters: 
Chang, H.T., Kuo, H. (1991) Calcium-binding protein (calbindin D-28k) immunoreactive neurons in the basal forebrain of the monkey and the rat: relationship with the cholinergic neurons. In P. Kalivas, I. Hanin, and T.C. Napier (eds.) "The Basal Forebrain", Plenum Press, N.Y. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 295:119-126.
Chang, H.T., Wilson, C.J. (1990) Anatomical analysis of electrophysiologically characterized neurons in the rat strio-pallidal system. In A. Björklund, T. Hökfelt, F. Wouterlood and A.N. van den Pol (Ed.), Handbook of Chemical Neuroanatomy, vol. 8 "Methods for the Analysis of Neuronal Microcircuits", Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 351-402.
Kitai, S.T., Penny, G.R., Chang, H.T. (1989) Intracellular labeling and immunocytochemistry. In L. Heimer and L. Zaborszky (eds.) Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Methods II. Recent Progress Plenum Publishing Corporation, N.Y. pp 173-199.
Academic Appointments
Academic Appointments: 
2016-Present: Professor, Michigan State University Department of Neurology
2006-2016: Associate Professor, Michigan State University Department of Neurology
2006: Associate Professor, Pathology & Neurology, SUNY-Upstate Medical University
2001-2006: Assistant Professor, Pathology & Neurology, SUNY-Upstate Medical University
1991-1992: Associate Professor, Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee
1984-1991: Assistant Professor, Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee
Postdoctoral Training
Postdoctoral Training: 
Neuropathology Fellowship, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University 2001
Pathology Residency, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School 1999
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee; Memphis, TN 1983
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Anatomy, Michigan State University; East Lansing, MI 1983
Research Interests
Research Interests: 

Current Research Projects:

  • American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR): 
    Title: Pilot study of a metabolic nutritional therapy for the management of primary brain tumors 
    Description: This is a 2-year research project (1/1/2014-12/31/2015) headed by Kenneth Alan Schwartz, MD, Division of Hematology/Oncology, 
    Department of Medicine, MSU as the PI, and I serve as one of the several co-investigators. My percent effort is 10%. 
    Status: This AICR Grant proposal has been approved and funded. Direct costs for 2 years: $164,998.
  • NIH Research Study (1R01 CA136861-01A2):
    Title: The Young Women's Health History Study (previously known as Life Course Energy Balance and Breast Cancer Risk in Black/White Women Under 50)
    Description: This is a multi-institutional project headed by Dr. Ellen Velie of Epidemiology (MSU-CHM) as the PI, and I serve as one of the many co-investigators (local pathology consultant). My percent effort is 10%. Status: This NIH Grant proposal has been approved and funded. Direct costs for 5 years: $14 million.

Recent Research Support

  • SUNY-Upstate Medical University Hendrick’s Grant and University Pathologists Laboratories Research Grant
    "The Functional Anatomy and Pathology of the Spinal Cord" (PI) 2002 - 2006
  • American Diabetes Association (Co-investigator, 5% effort) 2005 - 2006
    “Role of hypothalamus in reversing obesity-related diabetes” (PI: Michael Meguid M.D., Surgery)
  • NY State Department of Health - Spinal Cord Injury Research Program 2006 - 2009
    “Repair of Cauda Equina Injury” (Co-investigator, 10% effort) (co-PI: Blair Calancie, Ph.D., Neurosurgery; and Dennis Stelzner, Ph.D., Cell & Developmental Biology)

Industry Sponsored Studies

  • Title: A principal open-label study to compare the brain uptake of [18F]flutemetamol with brain amyloid levels post mortem (MSU CGA#116281)
    Sponsor: General Electric Healthcare Ltd. (GE-067-007)
    Local PI: Andrea Bozoki, MD, Neurology-Ophthalmology, MSU.
    My role: Co-investigator, assist with brain autopsy.
    Description: This is a Phase III multi-center open-label PET study to compare the brain uptake of [18F]flutemetamol and brain amyloid levels measured by post-mortem immunohistochemical, histochemical, and biochemical (ELISA) assays to determine the level of association.

 

Memberships
Memberships: 
American Association of Neuropathologists
College of American Pathologists
Society for Neuroscience
American Society of Clinical Pathologists
Massachusetts Medical Society
US and Canadian Academy of Pathology
Subspecialty
Subspecialty: 
Neuropathology

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