Educator in nephrology to be honored at NKF’s 2021 Spring Clinical Meetings
Nov. 18, 2020, New York, NY —Each year the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) considers the work of hundreds of specialists in the field of nephrology and selects among them those who most exemplify the relentless efforts of NKF to enhance the lives of patients through action, education and accelerating change.
Their work is vital to the 37 million adults in the U.S. who are affected by kidney disease and the 1 in 3 people in the country who are at risk.
Among the prestigious awards that will be presented at NKF’s 2021 Spring Clinical Meetings will be the Donald W. Seldin Award to Mark Perazella, MD, from Yale University School of Medicine and West Haven VA Medical Center.
“It is a very special honor to receive the 2021 Donald W. Seldin Award,” Dr. Perazella said. “Dr. Seldin was an extraordinary role model whose innovations and contributions transformed care for patients with advanced kidney disease. He was in inspiration to me and others of my generation. I feel very privileged and fortunate to receive the NKF award that bears his name.”
The Seldin award was established to recognize excellence in clinical nephrology in the tradition of one of the foremost teachers and researchers in the field.
“Dr. Perazella is a renowned educator and outstanding teacher and clinician who is well deserving of the Donald W. Seldin Award,” said Paul M. Palevsky, MD, NKF President. “He has been an example of a standout leader in drug-induced kidney disease and has helped develop the nascent field of onco-nephrology as well.”
Dr. Perazella is a Board-certified nephrologist and Professor of Medicine in the Section of Nephrology at Yale University School of Medicine and West Haven VA Medical Center in West Haven, CT. His academic career has centered on his role as a clinician and educator. He completed a 12-year term as Yale Nephrology Fellowship Training Program Director. He is currently Director of the Acute Dialysis Program at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Medical Director for the Yale Physician Associate and PA On-line Programs.
“As an academic nephrologist on the faculty at Johns Hopkins, I was drawn to the potential of clinical epidemiology and prevention sciences to transform the care of patients with kidney disease and reduce the ever-expanding kidney disease burden in the general population,” Dr. Perazella said. “One of my earliest national presentations was at an NKF meeting and I have always had great admiration for the contributions of the organization to kidney disease patients and kidney disease professionals.”
Dr. Perazella was co-chair for NKF’s 2019 Spring Clinical Meetings in Boston and program chair for the 2020 Spring Clinical Meetings. He was education co-director for the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Board Review Course and Update (2014-2020) and completed a six-year term as a member of the ABIM Nephrology Subspecialty Exam Writing Committee. He also served on the ASN Continuing Professional Development and Post-Graduate Education Committees and was chair of the ASN Onco-Nephrology Forum Group. He formerly served on the ASN Training Program Directors Executive Committee and NKF Education Committee.
Dr. Perazella is Deputy Editor for Kidney 360, Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Onco-Nephrology, and AKI Section Editor for Clinical Nephrology. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed articles, written numerous book chapters, and has co-edited four textbooks. His clinical areas of interest are drug-induced kidney disease, onco-nephrology, HIV-related kidney disease, and acute tubulointerstitial nephritis.
“The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings provide an exceptional environment for interdisciplinary learning and always has an outstanding faculty that are at the forefront of kidney disease patient care, public health, and research,” Dr. Perazella said. “It has always been a great meeting but seems to get better each year. It provides a great opportunity to stay up to date on the best care for patients with kidney disease.”
Kidney health professionals interested in attending the NKF Spring Clinical Meetings can register at: https://www.kidney.org/spring-clinical/registration/fees
NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
For the past 29 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to NKF’s Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice; network with colleagues; and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings are designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams’ skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team. This year’s Spring Clinical Meetings will be held virtually April 6-10.
NKF Professional Membership
Healthcare professionals can join NKF to receive access to tools and resources for both patients and professionals, discounts on professional education, and access to a network of thousands of individuals who treat patients with kidney disease.
Kidney Disease Facts
In the United States, 37 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Blacks or African Americans are almost 4 times more likely than White Americans to have kidney failure. Hispanics are 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanics to have kidney failure.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive, and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease in the U.S. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.