American Kidney Fund awards clinical scientist in nephrology fellowships

Dr. Anoop Sheshadri of the University of California, San Francisco and Dr. Megan Yanik of the University of Alabama at Birmingham have been named Clinical Scientist in Nephrology fellows by the American Kidney Fund, receiving grants to conduct research designed to improve treatment and outcomes for patients living with end-stage renal disease.

Sheshadri’s research, funded through a new partnership with Satellite Healthcare, will evaluate whether providing pedometers and recommended goals for steps per day to both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients can improve their cardiovascular function and quality of life.

“This fellowship will further the care of a population of patients that is underrepresented in the research world,” said Sheshadri. “I plan to learn how physical and cognitive dysfunction develops in ESRD patients as a first step in learning how best to prevent that decline and if possible, reverse it.” The AKF-Satellite Healthcare Clinical Research Grant will fund Dr. Sheshadri’s fellowship for two years.

Yanik will study genetic factors that may influence the time needed for the immunosuppressant drug tacrolimus to reach therapeutic levels in children with kidney transplants, as well as their role in risk for acute organ rejection.

“Knowledge gained from this work may help us to personalize immunosuppression medication choices for children and to improve clinical outcomes in the future,” said Yanik, whose fellowship is funded by a grant from Sanofi.