Regenstrief Institute

Wanzhu Tu, PhD

Contact : wtu1@iu.edu

Big electronic medical record data are being used to answer questions that may otherwise be unanswerable.

Research Scientist, Indiana University Center for Aging Research at Regenstrief Institute
Professor, Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine
Interim Director, Department of Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Medicine

Dr. Wanzhu Tu is an investigator funded by the National Institutes of Health. He has developed a new set of semiparametric modeling techniques for the dissemination of multiple nonlinear and interacting influences of factors in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) on blood pressure. His research team has generated a number of important findings that characterize a unique pathophysiology of hypertension in African Americans. He is a fellow of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Tu is a statistical methodologist with an interest in semiparametric regression. His recent methodological work has appeared in both theoretical and applied statistical journals, including Journal of the American Statistical Association, Biometrics, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, and Annals of Applied Statistics.

Featured Projects

Novel biomarkers as a clinical tool for excessive alcohol use screening

(RO1 NIH/NIAAA)

Role: Co-Investigator

Excessive alcohol use is an emerging health concern. Previous studies have found serum and urine markers that reflect cellular responses to alcohol exposure. We seek to use these mechanistically derived markers to screen excessive alcohol use disorder.

Alcoholic Hepatitis Network Data Coordinating Center

(U24 NIH/NIAAA)

Role: Co-Investigator

The Data Coordinating Center supports a major clinical trial on the treatment of alcoholic hepatitis. We also support an observational study on the natural history of the disease.

Featured Publications

Dec 30, 2021

Chlorthalidone for Hypertension in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease

Publication: New England Journal of Medicine

DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2110730

Authors: Agarwal R, Sinha AD, Cramer AE, Balmes-Fenwick M, Dickinson JH, Ouyang F, Tu W

Jun 2019

Distribution-free estimation of local growth rates around interval censored anchoring events. Biometrics

Publication: Biometrics

DOI: 10.1111/biom.13015

Authors: Chu C, Zhang Y, Tu W

Jul 2018

Age-Related Blood Pressure Sensitivity to Aldosterone in Blacks and Whites

Publication: Hypertension

DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.11014

Authors: Tu W, Li R, Bhalla V, Eckert GJ, Pratt JH

May 1, 2017

Varying Influences of Aldosterone on the Plasma Potassium Concentration in Blacks and Whites

Publication: American Journal of Hypertension

DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpx006

Authors: Tu W, Eckert GJ, Decker BS, Howard Pratt J

Jan 2016

Triamterene Enhances the Blood Pressure Lowering Effect of Hydrochlorothiazide in Patients with Hypertension

Publication: Journal of General Internal Medicine

DOI: 10.1007/s11606-015-3469-1

Authors: Tu W, Decker BS, He Z, Erdel BL, Eckert GJ, Hellman RN, Murray MD, Oates JA, Pratt JH

Jun 2014

Racial differences in sensitivity of blood pressure to aldosterone

Publication: Hypertension

DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.113.02989

Authors: Tu W, Eckert GJ, Hannon TS, Liu H, Pratt LM, Wagner MA, Dimeglio LA, Jung J, Pratt JH

Sep 2016

Robust nonparametric estimation of monotone regression functions with interval-censored observations

Publication: Biometrics

DOI: 10.1111/biom.12465

Authors: Zhang Y, Cheng G, Tu W

May 1, 2011

A Nested Dirichlet Process Analysis of Cluster Randomized Trial Data With Application in Geriatric Care Assessment

Publication: Journal of the American Statistical Association

doi.org/10.1080/01621459.2012.734164

Authors: Ho, M.W., Tu, W., Ghosh, P. and Tiwari, R.C.

Nov 9, 2011

Semiparametric frailty models for clustered failure time data

Publication: Biometrics

doi: 10.1111/j.1541-0420.2011

Authors: Yu Z, Lin X, Tu W

Dec 1, 2008

Assessing Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors of Young Women: A Joint Model with Nonlinear Time Effects

Publication: Journal of the American Statistical Association

DOI: 10.1198/016214508000000850

Authors: Ghosh P, Tu W