Ellen Fung, PhD, RD
Professor
Pediatrics
School of Medicine

Dr. Fung is the Director of the Bone Density Clinic at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and enjoys educating clinicians on the importance of achieving optimal bone health in childhood and adolescence. She is also the Director of the UCSF Summer Student Research Program which for the past 4 decades has been placing talented high school and college students from diverse backgrounds into local clinics and basic science labs to participate in active biomedical research. The overall goal of the program is to stimulate interest in health sciences for under-represented students, arming them with professional skills and confidence, thereby improving their likelihood of success in STEM careers.

• Interpretation of Bone Mineral Density Z-Scores by Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry in Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth Prior to Gender-Affirming Medical Therapy.
  Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry 2022 Lee JY, Fan B, Montenegro G, Long RK, Sanda S, Capodanno G, Schafer AL, Burghardt AJ, Rosenthal SM, Fung EB
• Kidney Stones in Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia: Prevalence and Risk Factors
  Open Journal of Urology 2022 Sayani FA, Lal A, Tasian GE, Al-Mukaddam M, Killilea DW, Wasserstein A, Fung EB.
• Nutrition in Thalassemia: A Systematic Review of Deficiency, Relations to Morbidity, and Supplementation Recommendations.
  Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology 2022 Goldberg EK, Lal A, Fung EB
• Success of Distance Learning During 2020 COVID-19 Restrictions: A Report from Five STEM Training Programs for Underrepresented High School and Undergraduate Learners.
  Journal of STEM outreach 2021 Fung EB, Frey MR, Valmont ME, Caffey-Fleming DE, Fraser M, Williams J, Killilea DW, Bogenmann E, Livshits S, Boone DN
• Zinc deficiency and its association with treatment-related toxicity in children with cancer.
  Pediatric blood & cancer 2021 Chung JH, Phalke N, Hastings C, Killilea DW, Feusner JH, Fung EB
• Biomarkers for prediction of skeletal disease progression in mucopolysaccharidosis type I.
  JIMD reports 2020 Lund TC, Doherty TM, Eisengart JB, Freese RL, Rudser KD, Fung EB, Miller BS, White KK, Orchard PJ, Whitley CB, Polgreen LE
• Zinc supplementation improves markers of glucose homeostasis in thalassaemia.
  British journal of haematology 2020 Fung EB, Ahmad T, Killilea DW, Hussain R, Lal A
• Urinary cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide, a bone resorption marker, decreases after vaso-occlusive crises in adults with sickle cell disease.
  Blood cells, molecules & diseases 2019 Adesina OO, Jenkins IC, Wu QV, Fung EB, Narla RR, Lipkin EW, Mahajan K, Konkle BA, Kruse-Jarres R
• Clinical trial of laronidase in Hurler syndrome after hematopoietic cell transplantation.
  Pediatric research 2019 Polgreen LE, Lund TC, Braunlin E, Tolar J, Miller BS, Fung E, Whitley CB, Eisengart JB, Northrop E, Rudser K, Miller WP, Orchard PJ
• Precision of the Hologic DXA in the Assessment of Visceral Adipose Tissue.
  Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry 2019 Goldberg EK, Fung EB
• Effect of prenatal calcium supplementation on bone during pregnancy and 1 y postpartum.
  The American journal of clinical nutrition 2019 Cullers A, King JC, Van Loan M, Gildengorin G, Fung EB
• Nutritional Deficiencies Are Common in Patients with Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia and Associated with Iron Overload.
  Journal of food and nutrition research (Newark, Del.) 2018 Goldberg EK, Neogi S, Lal A, Higa A, Fung E
• Vertebral Bone Density Measurements by DXA are Influenced by Hepatic Iron Overload in Patients with Hemoglobinopathies.
  Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry 2018 Allard HM, Calvelli L, Weyhmiller MG, Gildengorin G, Fung EB
• The Answer is Vitamin D! From Pediatrics to Geriatrics in Orthopaedics.
  Instructional course lectures 2018 Minkowitz B, Sawyer A, Fung EB, Dvorzhinskiy A, Lane JM
• Dietary nonheme iron is equally bioavailable from ferritin or ferrous sulfate in thalassemia intermedia.
  Pediatric hematology and oncology 2017 Khurana M, Fung EB, Vichinsky EP, Theil EC
• The importance of nutrition for health in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia.
  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2016 Fung EB
• Zinc status affects glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion in patients with thalassemia.
  Nutrients 2015 Fung EB, Gildengorin G, Talwar S, Hagar L, Lal A
• Effects of early vitamin D deficiency rickets on bone and dental health, growth and immunity.
  Maternal & child nutrition 2015 Zerofsky M, Ryder M, Bhatia S, Stephensen CB, King J, Fung EB
• Guidelines for the Standard Monitoring of Patients With Thalassemia: Report of the Thalassemia Longitudinal Cohort.
  Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology 2015 Tubman VN, Fung EB, Vogiatzi M, Thompson AA, Rogers ZR, Neufeld EJ, Kwiatkowski JL, Thalassemia Clinical Research Network
• Biomarkers of bone remodeling in children with mucopolysaccharidosis types I, II, and VI.
  Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine 2014 Stevenson DA, Rudser K, Kunin-Batson A, Fung EB, Viskochil D, Shapiro E, Orchard PJ, Whitley CB, Polgreen LE
• Bone health in children with special health care needs.
  Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine 2014 Fung EB
• The effect of low magnitude mechanical stimulation (LMMS) on bone density in patients with Rett syndrome: a pilot and feasibility study.
  Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine 2014 Afzal SY, Wender AR, Jones MD, Fung EB, Pico EL
• Zinc supplementation improves bone density in patients with thalassemia: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
  The American journal of clinical nutrition 2013 Fung EB, Kwiatkowski JL, Huang JN, Gildengorin G, King JC, Vichinsky EP
• Low bone mineral content and challenges in interpretation of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in children with mucopolysaccharidosis types I, II, and VI.
  Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry 2013 Polgreen LE, Thomas W, Fung E, Viskochil D, Stevenson DA, Steinberger J, Orchard P, Whitley CB, Ensrud KE
• Increased leucocyte apoptosis in transfused β-thalassaemia patients.
  British journal of haematology 2012 Walter PB, Porter J, Evans P, Kwiatkowski JL, Neufeld EJ, Coates T, Giardina PJ, Grady RW, Vichinsky E, Olivieri N, Trachtenberg F, Alberti D, Fung E, Ames B, Higa A, Harmatz P, Thalassemia Clinical …
• The effect of whole body vibration therapy on bone density in patients with thalassemia: a pilot study.
  American journal of hematology 2012 Fung EB, Gariepy CA, Sawyer AJ, Higa A, Vichinsky EP
• Feto-maternal vitamin D status and infant whole-body bone mineral content in the first weeks of life.
  European journal of clinical nutrition 2012 Dror DK, King JC, Durand DJ, Fung EB, Allen LH
• Role of calcium during pregnancy: maternal and fetal needs.
  Nutrition reviews 2012 Hacker AN, Fung EB, King JC
• Inadequate dietary intake in patients with thalassemia.
  Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2012 Fung EB, Xu Y, Trachtenberg F, Odame I, Kwiatkowski JL, Neufeld EJ, Thompson AA, Boudreaux J, Quinn CT, Vichinsky EP, Thalassemia Clinical Research Network
• Evidence of associations between feto-maternal vitamin D status, cord parathyroid hormone and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, and newborn whole body bone mineral content.
  Nutrients 2012 Dror DK, King JC, Fung EB, Van Loan MD, Gertz ER, Allen LH
• Treatment of vitamin D deficiency in transfusion-dependent thalassemia.
  American journal of hematology 2011 Fung EB, Aguilar C, Micaily I, Haines D, Lal A
• Characterization of low bone mass in young patients with thalassemia by DXA, pQCT and markers of bone turnover.
  Bone 2011 Fung EB, Vichinsky EP, Kwiatkowski JL, Huang J, Bachrach LK, Sawyer AJ, Zemel BS
• Rapid remineralization of the distal radius after forearm fracture in children.
  Journal of pediatric orthopedics 2011 Fung EB, Humphrey ML, Gildengorin G, Goldstein N, Hoffinger SA
• Renal dysfunction in patients with thalassaemia.
  British journal of haematology 2011 Quinn CT, Johnson VL, Kim HY, Trachtenberg F, Vogiatzi MG, Kwiatkowski JL, Neufeld EJ, Fung E, Oliveri N, Kirby M, Giardina PJ, Thalassemia Clinical Research Network
• Nutritional deficiencies in patients with thalassemia.
  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2010 Fung EB
• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry with serum ferritin predicts liver iron concentration and changes in concentration better than ferritin alone.
  Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry 2010 Shepherd JA, Fan B, Lu Y, Marquez L, Salama K, Hwang J, Fung EB
• Relationship between chronic transfusion therapy and body composition in subjects with thalassemia.
  The Journal of pediatrics 2010 Fung EB, Xu Y, Kwiatkowski JL, Vogiatzi MG, Neufeld E, Olivieri N, Vichinsky EP, Giardina PJ, Thalassemia Clinical Research Network
• Randomized, controlled trial to examine the impact of providing yogurt to women enrolled in WIC.
  Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2010 Fung EB, Ritchie LD, Walker BH, Gildengorin G, Crawford PB
• Bone density assessment in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis: A preliminary report from patients with MPS II and VI.
  Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine 2010 Fung EB, Johnson JA, Madden J, Kim T, Harmatz P
• Hemoglobin H-constant spring in North America: an alpha thalassemia with frequent complications.
  American journal of hematology 2009 Singer ST, Kim HY, Olivieri NF, Kwiatkowski JL, Coates TD, Carson S, Neufeld E, Cunningham MJ, Giardina PJ, Mueller BU, Quinn CT, Fung E, Vichinsky E, Thalassemia Clinical Research Network
• Differences in the prevalence of growth, endocrine and vitamin D abnormalities among the various thalassaemia syndromes in North America.
  British journal of haematology 2009 Vogiatzi MG, Macklin EA, Trachtenberg FL, Fung EB, Cheung AM, Vichinsky E, Olivieri N, Kirby M, Kwiatkowski JL, Cunningham M, Holm IA, Fleisher M, Grady RW, Peterson CM, Giardina PJ, Thalassemia …
• Bone disease in thalassemia: a frequent and still unresolved problem.
  Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2009 Vogiatzi MG, Macklin EA, Fung EB, Cheung AM, Vichinsky E, Olivieri N, Kirby M, Kwiatkowski JL, Cunningham M, Holm IA, Lane J, Schneider R, Fleisher M, Grady RW, Peterson CC, Giardina PJ, Thalassemia …
• The work and home activities questionnaire: energy expenditure estimates and association with percent body fat.
  Journal of physical activity & health 2009 Block G, Jensen CD, Block TJ, Norris J, Dalvi TB, Fung EB
• Vitamin C treatment reduces elevated C-reactive protein.
  Free radical biology & medicine 2008 Block G, Jensen CD, Dalvi TB, Norkus EP, Hudes M, Crawford PB, Holland N, Fung EB, Schumacher L, Harmatz P
• Disparity in the management of iron overload between patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia who received transfusions.
  Transfusion 2008 Fung EB, Harmatz PR, Milet M, Balasa V, Ballas SK, Casella JF, Hilliard L, Kutlar A, McClain KL, Olivieri NF, Porter JB, Vichinsky EP, Multi-Center Iron Overload Research Group
• The effect of vitamins C and E on biomarkers of oxidative stress depends on baseline level.
  Free radical biology & medicine 2008 Block G, Jensen CD, Morrow JD, Holland N, Norkus EP, Milne GL, Hudes M, Dalvi TB, Crawford PB, Fung EB, Schumacher L, Harmatz P
• Fracture prevalence and relationship to endocrinopathy in iron overloaded patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia.
  Bone 2008 Fung EB, Harmatz PR, Milet M, Coates TD, Thompson AA, Ranalli M, Mignaca R, Scher C, Giardina P, Robertson S, Neumayr L, Vichinsky EP, Multi-Center Iron Overload Study Group
• Markers of bone turnover are associated with growth and development in young subjects with sickle cell anemia.
  Pediatric blood & cancer 2008 Fung EB, Kawchak DA, Zemel BS, Rovner AJ, Ohene-Frempong K, Stallings VA
• Serum ferritin underestimates liver iron concentration in transfusion independent thalassemia patients as compared to regularly transfused thalassemia and sickle cell patients.
  Pediatric blood & cancer 2007 Pakbaz Z, Fischer R, Fung E, Nielsen P, Harmatz P, Vichinsky E
• Morbidity and mortality in chronically transfused subjects with thalassemia and sickle cell disease: A report from the multi-center study of iron overload.
  American journal of hematology 2007 Fung EB, Harmatz P, Milet M, Ballas SK, De Castro L, Hagar W, Owen W, Olivieri N, Smith-Whitley K, Darbari D, Wang W, Vichinsky E, Multi-Center Study of Iron Overload Research Group
• A randomised comparison of deferasirox versus deferoxamine for the treatment of transfusional iron overload in sickle cell disease.
  British journal of haematology 2007 Vichinsky E, Onyekwere O, Porter J, Swerdlow P, Eckman J, Lane P, Files B, Hassell K, Kelly P, Wilson F, Bernaudin F, Forni GL, Okpala I, Ressayre-Djaffer C, Alberti D, Holland J, Marks P, Fung E, …
• Bone mineral density in children with sickle cell anemia.
  Pediatric blood & cancer 2006 Lal A, Fung EB, Pakbaz Z, Hackney-Stephens E, Vichinsky EP
• Increased prevalence of iron-overload associated endocrinopathy in thalassaemia versus sickle-cell disease.
  British journal of haematology 2006 Fung EB, Harmatz PR, Lee PD, Milet M, Bellevue R, Jeng MR, Kalinyak KA, Hudes M, Bhatia S, Vichinsky EP, Multi-Centre Study of Iron Overload Research Group
• Oxidative stress and inflammation in iron-overloaded patients with beta-thalassaemia or sickle cell disease.
  British journal of haematology 2006 Walter PB, Fung EB, Killilea DW, Jiang Q, Hudes M, Madden J, Porter J, Evans P, Vichinsky E, Harmatz P
• Growth and health in children with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy.
  Pediatrics 2006 Stevenson RD, Conaway M, Chumlea WC, Rosenbaum P, Fung EB, Henderson RC, Worley G, Liptak G, O'Donnell M, Samson-Fang L, Stallings VA, North American Growth in Cerebral Palsy Study
• Prevalence of fractures among the Thalassemia syndromes in North America.
  Bone 2005 Vogiatzi MG, Macklin EA, Fung EB, Vichinsky E, Olivieri N, Kwiatkowski J, Cohen A, Neufeld E, Giardina PJ
• Bone scintigraphy in common tumors with osteolytic components.
  Clinical nuclear medicine 2005 Wang K, Allen L, Fung E, Chan CC, Chan JC, Griffith JF
• Comparison of organ dysfunction in transfused patients with SCD or beta thalassemia.
  American journal of hematology 2005 Vichinsky E, Butensky E, Fung E, Hudes M, Theil E, Ferrell L, Williams R, Louie L, Lee PD, Harmatz P
• A simple model to assess and improve adherence to iron chelation therapy with deferoxamine in patients with thalassemia.
  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2005 Pakbaz Z, Fischer R, Treadwell M, Yamashita R, Fung EB, Calvelli L, Quirolo K, Foote D, Harmatz P, Vichinsky EP
• Interaction of artificial metallic objects with biosusceptometric measurements.
  Neurology & clinical neurophysiology : NCN 2004 Engelhardt R, Fung EB, Kelly P, Biehl TR, Pakbaz Z, Nielsen P, Harmatz P, Fischer R
• The new SQUID biosusceptometer at Oakland: first year of experience.
  Neurology & clinical neurophysiology : NCN 2004 Fung EB, Fischer R, Pakbaz Z, Fagaly RL, Vichinsky E, Starr TN, Ewing T, Paulson DN, Hassenzahl WV, Harmatz P
• Plasma zinc is an insensitive predictor of zinc status: use of plasma zinc in children with sickle cell disease.
  Nutrition in clinical practice : official publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 2002 Fung EB, Kawchak DA, Zemel BS, Ohene-Frempong K, Stallings VA
• Relationship of nutritional status to health and societal participation in children with cerebral palsy.
  The Journal of pediatrics 2002 Samson-Fang L, Fung E, Stallings VA, Conaway M, Worley G, Rosenbaum P, Calvert R, O'donnell M, Henderson RC, Chumlea WC, Liptak GS, Stevenson RD
• Secondary sexual characteristics in children with cerebral palsy and moderate to severe motor impairment: a cross-sectional survey.
  Pediatrics 2002 Worley G, Houlihan CM, Herman-Giddens ME, O'Donnell ME, Conaway M, Stallings VA, Chumlea WC, Henderson RC, Fung EB, Rosenbaum PL, Samson-Fang L, Liptak GS, Calvert RE, Stevenson RD
• Bone density and metabolism in children and adolescents with moderate to severe cerebral palsy.
  Pediatrics 2002 Henderson RC, Lark RK, Gurka MJ, Worley G, Fung EB, Conaway M, Stallings VA, Stevenson RD
• Feeding dysfunction is associated with poor growth and health status in children with cerebral palsy.
  Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2002 Fung EB, Samson-Fang L, Stallings VA, Conaway M, Liptak G, Henderson RC, Worley G, O'Donnell M, Calvert R, Rosenbaum P, Chumlea W, Stevenson RD
• Effect of zinc supplementation on growth and body composition in children with sickle cell disease.
  The American journal of clinical nutrition 2002 Zemel BS, Kawchak DA, Fung EB, Ohene-Frempong K, Stallings VA
• Pediatric reference data for dual X-ray absorptiometric measures of normal bone density in the distal femur.
  AJR. American journal of roentgenology 2002 Henderson RC, Lark RK, Newman JE, Kecskemethy H, Fung EB, Renner JB, Harcke HT
• Effect of hydroxyurea therapy on resting energy expenditure in children with sickle cell disease.
  Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology 2001 Fung EB, Barden EM, Kawchak DA, Zemel BS, Ohene-Frempong K, Stallings VA
• Health status of children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy.
  Developmental medicine and child neurology 2001 Liptak GS, O'Donnell M, Conaway M, Chumlea WC, Wolrey G, Henderson RC, Fung E, Stallings VA, Samson-Fang L, Calvert R, Rosenbaum P, Stevenson RD
• Energy expenditure and intake in children with sickle cell disease during acute illness.
  Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) 2001 Fung EB, Malinauskas BM, Kawchak DA, Koh BY, Zemel BS, Gropper SS, Ohene-Frempong K, Stallings VA
• Red blood cell folate and serum vitamin B12 status in children with sickle cell disease.
  Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology 2001 Kennedy TS, Fung EB, Kawchak DA, Zemel BS, Ohene-Frempong K, Stallings VA
• Dual X-ray absorptiometry assessment of body composition in children with altered body posture.
  Journal of clinical densitometry : the official journal of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry 2001 Henderson RC, Lark RK, Renner JB, Fung EB, Stallings VA, Conaway M, Stevenson RD
• Estimating energy expenditure in critically ill adults and children.
  AACN clinical issues 2000 Fung EB
• A six-month study of growth and energy expenditure in children with cystic fibrosis taking a pulmonary inhalation medication (rhDNase).
  Journal of the American College of Nutrition 1999 Fung EB, Barden EM, Wasserman D, Zemel BS, Heinrich BT, Scanlin TF, Stallings VA
• A longitudinal study of calcium homeostasis during human pregnancy and lactation and after resumption of menses.
  The American journal of clinical nutrition 1998 Ritchie LD, Fung EB, Halloran BP, Turnlund JR, Van Loan MD, Cann CE, King JC
• Acute pulmonary exacerbation is not associated with increased energy expenditure in children with cystic fibrosis.
  The Journal of pediatrics 1998 Stallings VA, Fung EB, Hofley PM, Scanlin TF
• Zinc absorption in women during pregnancy and lactation: a longitudinal study.
  The American journal of clinical nutrition 1997 Fung EB, Ritchie LD, Woodhouse LR, Roehl R, King JC
• Urinary lactose excretion is not an index of lactation performance.
  Journal of the American Dietetic Association 1996 Yoon JS, Fung EB, Ritchie LD, Woodhouse LR, King JC