Kansas City Pediatric Nephrologist Named NKF’s David M. Hume Memorial Award Winner

March 7, 2025, New York, New York – The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has awarded Bradley A. Warady, MD, the McLaughlin Family Endowed Chair in Nephrology, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine and Director, Division of Nephrology at Children’s Mercy Kansas City, with the David M. Hume Memorial Award. The distinguished honor will be presented at the NKF 2025 Spring Clinical Meetings in Boston, April 9 -13.  

 

Each year 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 the NKF to enhance the lives of patients,  work that is vital to the 35 million adults and the many children in the U.S. who are affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the 1 in 3 people who are at risk.

 

The David M. Hume Award was created in memory of one of NKF’s most distinguished members. The Hume Award is the highest honor given to a distinguished scientist-clinician in the field of kidney and urologic diseases. It is bestowed upon an individual who exemplifies the high ideals of scholarship and humanitarianism in an outstanding manner. 

 

“Winning this award is an extraordinary honor for so many reasons,” said Dr. Warady. “Not only does the award bear the name of an individual who was a pioneer in the field of kidney transplantation and research, but to be the recipient of the same award that has previously been bestowed upon so many giants in Nephrology is an honor that was beyond my wildest dreams”. 

 

Throughout his career, Dr. Warady’s clinical and research focus has been pediatric chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease, with an academic emphasis on collaborative research. He is Co-Principal Investigator of the landmark Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) Study, a lead faculty member of the Standardizing Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric End-Stage Kidney Disease (SCOPE) quality improvement collaborative and he established the International Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Network. 

 

“This recognition is a testament to Dr. Warady’s groundbreaking contributions to science and clinical medicine, particularly his unwavering commitment to improving patient lives,” said Dr. Kirk Campbell, President of the National Kidney Foundation. “His work not only exemplifies the highest standards of clinical excellence and scientific inquiry, but it also inspires all of us here at NKF to continue to work to improve the lives of those with CKD.” 

 

Dr. Warady serves as a national board member of the NKF, he was a member of the writing committee for the NKF-KDOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Peritoneal Dialysis Adequacy and he chaired the writing committees for the KDOQI Guidelines for Nutrition in Children with CKD and the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) Pediatric Peritonitis Guidelines. 

 

“I feel very connected personally to the NKF, not only as a result of my long-standing involvement in NKF initiatives, but more so because the goals of the organization are in sync with the goals of patients and professionals like myself in the kidney community,” said Dr. Warady. “The fact that the NKF mission emphasizes eliminating preventable kidney diseases, accelerating innovation and dismantling inequities in kidney care, dialysis and transplantation is evidence that the organization is keenly aware of what’s important to patients living with kidney disease.” 

Dr. Warady has previously received numerous awards including the NKF’s J. Michael Lazarus Award, the American Academy of Pediatrics’s Henry L. Barnett Award and the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology’s Founder’s Award in recognition of lifetime contributions to pediatric kidney care. 

 

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings 

For more than 30 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to the NKF 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 and interprofessional 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 April 9-13 in Boston. 

 

Kidney Disease 

In the United States, more than 35 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for 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. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people. 

 

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. Visit https://www.kidney.org/membership to learn more and join our community today. 

 

About the National Kidney Foundation 

The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about kidney disease, please visit www.kidney.org/.

 

 

Media Contact:

Jade Rivera-McFarlin

413-537-1155 

Jade.riveramcfarlin@kidney.org

  

 

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