Chang also performs studies of experimental brain tumor treatments and evaluates the use of imaging techniques as treatment tools. Specifically, she was one of the recipients of a SPORE grant for evaluating the role of magnetic resonance spectroscopy in diagnosing tumors and evaluating therapeutic interventions. SPORE, which stands for Specialized Programs of Research Excellence, is a program of the National Cancer Institute. She is a principal investigator of a research project funded by the National Institutes of Health that focuses on optimizing the management of patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that's difficult to treat.