(Boston)—Sushrut S. Waikar, MD, MPH, the Norman G. Levinsky Professor of Medicine at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, is the recipient of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Distinguished Mentor Award. The honor recognizes individuals who have made contributions to the kidney community through the mentorship and development of other clinicians or researchers. Distinctively, these individuals have inspired trainees to pursue nephrology and become leaders in the transformation of healthcare through innovations in research, education and practice.
Waikar is chief of nephrology at Boston Medical Center and clinician scientist whose lab has been continuously funded by the NIH for more than 20 years. His research team uses epidemiologic, translational and interventional studies to address clinically relevant questions to advance patient care.
Current areas of investigation include the development of better diagnostic tests for kidney disease, kidney biopsy studies to understand mechanisms of kidney disease progression, and Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu), a devastating epidemic of kidney failure among young agricultural workers in Central America and South Asia.
Waikar is a principal investigator for the NIH Kidney Precision Medicine Project, the CKD of Unknown Etiology Consortium, and several other grants related to kidney physiology and biomarkers of kidney disease.
He received his undergraduate degree in English and neuroscience at Amherst College and his medical degree at Yale University. Waikar trained in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where he served as chief medical resident. He trained in nephrology at Mass General Brigham and earned his master’s degree in public health at Harvard University in 2006.
Founded in 1966, ASN is the world's largest professional society devoted to the study of kidney diseases. ASN established the Midcareer Awards Program in 2019 to recognize midcareer clinicians, educators, health professionals, and researchers who have made outstanding contributions to nephrology and/or demonstrated exemplary service to the society.