Research and Scholarship Activities

The Nephrology Section, in conjunction with the Department of Public Health Sciences, offers a three-and-a-half to four-year program leading to a Master's Degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Board eligibility in nephrology. This program emphasizes training for careers in academic medicine with a focus on developing skills for clinical research. The opportunity to earn the Master of Science degree in epidemiology is an integral part of the fellowship training in clinical nephrology. Approximately one-and-a-half to two years of the program would be spent almost entirely in course work required for the Master's Degree. The other two years would be spent rotating through clinical services and working on clinical research projects. The trainee would write a thesis as required for the Master's Degree program.

Additionally, all clinical fellows have adequate elective time which can be devoted to work on a variety of clinical research projects under faculty supervision. Our nephrology section has an active clinical research program, with special interests in the areas of genetics and prevention of ESRD, peritoneal dialysis, hemodialysis, and acute renal failure.

All fellows are expected to pursue a specific project under the direct supervision of one or more members of the research-training faculty.  Results of the fellows’ investigations will be reported periodically at a sectional research conference, held monthly, and at national meetings.  Faculty preceptors and their areas of research interest include:

Patricia L. Adams, M.D.	Renal transplant immunosuppressive regimens
Anthony J. Bleyer, M.D., M.S.	Familial juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy
Vardaman M. Buckalew, Jr., M.D.	National Analgesic Nephropathy Study (NANS)
John M. Burkart, M.D.	Peritoneal dialysis adequacy; nocturnal hemodialysis
Pirouz Daeihagh, M.D.	Efficacy of hypertensive regimens
Thomas D. DuBose, M.D.	Renal tubular acidosis
Barry I. Freedman, M.D.	Clinical Nephrology Research
Amret T. Hawfield, M.D.	Pre-eclampsia
Shahriar Moossavi, M.D.	Vascular calcifications and ESRD; Interventional Nephrology
Amber Reeves-Daniel, D.O.	Renal transplantation
Michael V. Rocco, M.D., M.S.	Hemodialysis adequacy; nocturnal hemodialysis, daily acute dialysis in the ICU, renal epidemiology
Anita M. Saran, M.D.	Glomerulonephritis
Scott G. Satko, M.D.	Family History of ESRD screening
Tushar Vachharajani, M.D.	Interventional Nephrology

Additionally, fellows are given didactic instruction in research methodology (including epidemiology and biostatistics) and participate in a weekly Journal Club, during which they are taught how to critically appraise the medical literature, as explained above in the description of the fellows’ conference series.

Our teaching activities include several conferences held throughout the week. See our conference schedule page for an outline of scheduled conferences.