Fang Yu
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Phone: 602-496-0969
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Mail code: 3020Campus: Dtphx
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Fang Yu, PhD, RN, GNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN is Professor and Edson Chair in Dementia Translational Nursing Science at the Arizona State University Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. She received her BS from Peking University Health Science Center and MS as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner and PhD in gerontological nursing from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She completed a 2-year John A. Hartford Claire M. Fagin Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Pennsylvania State University College of Nursing. She joined the University of Minnesota School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor in 2006 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2012 and Professor in 2018. She held Long-Term Care Professorship and was Chair of the Adult and Gerontological Health Cooperative. Dr. Yu is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of the America and American Academy of Nursing. Her proliferative research focus on developing exercise and cognitive interventions to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Her research findings have led to many peer-reviewed papers, a book titled Alzheimer's Rx: Aerobic Exercise (Use the Approach AD S.A.F.E.ly™ Protocol to Engage Purposefully), and the FIT-AD™ Certificate Program to increase exercise access for people with AD.
Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, BM in Nursing
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, MSN in Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA, PhD in Gerontology Nurse
The Pennsylvania State University School of Nursing & Center for Healthy Aging, John A. Hartford Foundation Claire M. Fagin Building Academic Excellence in Geriatric Nursing Capacity (BAGNC) Postdoctoral Fellowship, State College, PA
Fang Yu is passionate about developing and testing exercise interventions to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Her vision is to improve function and quality of life for older adults with AD and related dementia and their family caregivers. Since 2005, she has been testing the effects and mechanisms of aerobic exercise alone and in combination with other interventions such as iPad-based or computerized cognitive training on cognition, while using blood and imaging biomarkers to study the mechanisms of action for the interventions.
Current External Grants
Precision Medicine in Alzheimer’s Disease: A SMART Trial of Adaptive Exercises and Their Mechanisms of Action Using AT(N) Biomarkers to Optimize Aerobic Fitness (The FIT-AD SMART Trial) (NIH National Institute on Aging: 1R01AG076566-01A1; Principal Investigator: Fang Yu; Co-Investigators: Dereck L. Salisbury, Jeremy J. Pruzin, Molly Maxfield, Yi Su, Rodney Joseph, Michael Todd, Elsa Baena, Danni Li, David Coon; Award Dates: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2028; Funded Amount : $4,535,544.00)
Goal Setting to Promote Physical Activity Adherence in Midlife to Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: A Randomized Mechanistic Proof-of-Concept Trial (NIH National Institute on Aging: R61AG078089; Principal Investigator: Molly Maxfield & Rodney Joseph; Co-Investigators: Elsa Baena, Thomas Beach, Fang Yu; Award Dates: September 15, 2022 – August 30, 2027; Funded Amount: $2,707,125)
Efficacy and Mechanisms of Combined Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training in MCI (The ACT Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03313895) (NIH National Institute on Aging: R01AG055469–01A1; Project Investigator: Fang Yu & Feng Vankee Lin; Co-Investigators: Dereck Salisbury, Lisa Chow, Dereck Salisbury, David Vock, Anton Porsteinsson; Award Dates: September 15, 2017 – May 31, 2023; Funded Amount: $3,670,000.00)
Blood Biomarkers as Surrogate Endpoints of Treatment Responses to Aerobic Exercise and/or Cognitive Training in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (NIH National Institute on Aging: R01AG059654–01; Principal Investigator: Li, Danni; Co-Investigators: Fang Yu, Cavan Reilly, Lin Zhang; Award Dates: August 1, 2018 – May 31, 2023; Funded Amount: $1,930,000.00)
Selected Completed External Grants
Measuring Nucleotide Excision Repair in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients (NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: 5U01ES029603–02; Principal Investigator: Niedernhofer, Laura Jane; Co-Investigators: Fang Yu, Danni Li, Dereck Salisbury, Feng Vankee Lin; Award Dates: September 14, 2020 – June 30, 2022; Funded Amount: $434,780.00)
Phase II Concurrent Aerobic Exercise and Cognitive Training to Prevent Alzheimer’s in at at–risk Older Adults (The Exergame Study: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02963415; NIH National Institute on Aging: 1R44AG055176–01; Principal Investigators: Tom Plocher & Fang Yu; Co-Investigators: Carolyn Porta, Dereck Salisbury; Award Dates: April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2021; Funded Amount: $1,150,000.00)
An informatics framework for discovery and ascertainment of drug–supplement interactions (NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: 3R01AT009457–04S1; Principal Investigator: Rui Zhang; Co-Investigators: Fang Yu, Julian Wolfson; Award Dates: April 1, 2017 – March 31, 2021; Funded Amount: $608,798.00)
Aerobic Exercise in Alzheimer's Disease: Cognition and Hippocampal Volume Effects (The FIT-AD Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01954550; NIH National Institute on Aging: R01AG043392–01A1; Principal Investigator: Fang Yu; Co-Investigators: Dereck Salisbury, Lisa Chow, Arthur Leon, Maurice Dysken, Jean Wyman, David Vock; Award Dates: May 1, 2013 – April 30, 2019; Funded Amount: $3,040,000.00)
Identification of proteins in plasma lipoproteins as biomarkers to aid in diagnosing and predicting progression of Alzheimer's disease in older adults (NIH National Institute on Aging: 5R21AG061372–02; Principal Investigator: Danni Li; Co-Investigators: Fang Yu, Lin Zhang; Award Dates: February 15, 2019 – January 31, 2021; Funded Amount: $499,000.00)
Hydroxysphingolipids as a Pathological Mechanism and Plasma Biomarkers of Physical Function Decline in Older Adults (NIH National Institute on Aging: 1R21AG059068–01; Principal Investigator: Danni Li; Co-Investigator: Fang Yu; Award Dates: July 1, 2018 – May 31, 2020; Funded Amount: $451,528.00)
Memory Matters: A mobile Aid to Stimulate Reminiscing in Persons with Memory Loss Phase II (NIH National Institute on Aging: 9R44AG053923–02; Principal Investigator: Dan Klassen; Co-Investigators: Fang Yu, Joseph Gaugler; Award Dates: June 1, 2016 – November 30, 2018; Funded Amount: $1,385,470.00)
Vascular Biomarkers to Predict Response to Exercise in Alzheimer's Disease (Alzheimer's Association: NIRG–15–362393; Principal Investigator: Danni Li; Co-Investigators: Fang Yu, David Vock; Award Dates: December 1, 2015 – November 30, 2018; Funded Amount: $99,999.00)
Building a Workforce to Provide Exercise to People with Alzheimer's Disease: The FIT–AD Certification Program (Minnesota Board on Aging: 333–16–SDEM–033/PO41518; Principal Investigator: Fang Yu; Co-Investigators: Dereck Salisbury, Jean Wyman; Award Dates: January 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017; Funded Amount: $98,000.00)
Cognition Linked to Endurance & Vigorous Exercise Research in Parkinson’s Disease (The CLEVER – PD Pilot Study) (HealthPartners Foundation; Principal Investigator: Leah Hansen; Co-Investigators: Fang Yu, Julia Johnson; Award Dates: August 1, 2014 – December 31, 2015;
Funded Amount: $35,000.00)
Feasibility and Impact of Aerobic Exercise in Alzheimer's Disease (BrightFocus Foundation: A2009344; Principal Investigator: Fang Yu; Co-Investigators: Maurice Dysken, Jean Wyman, Patricia Painter; Award Dates: April 1, 2009 – February 28, 2012; Funded Amount: $150,000)
The Effect of Aerobic Fitness Exercise on Executive Functioning and Function in Alzheimer's Disease (American Nurses Foundation: 2005102; Principal Investigator: Fang Yu; Award Dates: November 1, 2005 – July 31, 2007; Funded Amount: $4,998.00)
Courses
2024 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
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EXW 599 | Thesis |
2024 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
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EXW 599 | Thesis |
2024 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
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HCR 280 | Team-Based Research Practicum |
HCR 480 | Adv Team-Based Research Pract |
NUR 692 | Research |
2023 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
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NUR 692 | Research |
2023 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
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NUR 692 | Research |
2022 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
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NUR 692 | Research |
External Sources
TRUST Award in Health and Well–Being, Women's Health Leadership Trust, Feb 3, 2020
Jeannine Rivet National Leadership Award Finalist, American Nurses Foundation, Feb 15, 2019
The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty, The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Oct 25, 2016
Fellow, American Academy of Nursing, Jul 2, 2015
Fellow, The Gerontological Society of America, May 29, 2015
Delegate at the International Symposium on Psychology of Aging – Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience and Psychopathology in Later Life, Beijing, P. R. China, Gerontological Society of the America, Aug 21, 2014
Excellent Alumni Award, Peking University School of Nursing, Oct 30, 2012
Excellence in Research Award, Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, Apr 1, 2012
Springer Award in Geriatric/Gerontological Nursing, The Gerontological Society of America, Nov 21, 2011
Recognition in Evaluation Brief – New Growth: A Decade of Cultivating Leaders in Geriatric Nursing, the John A. Hartford Foundation Hartford Geriatric Nursing Initiative, John A. Hartford Foundation, Nov 2, 2010
NIH K12/Career Development Program for Clinical Research Scholar, University of Minnesota, Jan 7, 2007
Scholar of Summer Institute on Aging Research, National Institutes of Health, Jun 10, 2006
Dorothy Cornelius/American Nurses Foundation Scholar, The American Nurses Foundation, May 15, 2005
Associate Editor
Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2021 – 2022
Nursing and Health Sciences, 2014 – 2018
National Black Nurses Association and its Greater Phoenix Chapter, 2022 – Present
International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment, 2012 – Present
The Gerontological Society of America, 2004 – Present
American Nurses Association/Arizona Nurses Association, 2021 – Present
American Academy of Nursing, 2013 – Present