Kidney Week ‘Reimagined’
Conference organizers offer diversified program in virtual setting
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Like most nephrology meetings taking place this year, the American Society of Nephrology’s annual symposia – Kidney Week – will be offered as a fully digital conference. This year’s program takes place Oct. 22-25, with early programs starting Oct. 19.
The conference uses the word “reimagined” to convey the virtual surroundings, Anupam Agarwal, MD, ASN president, told Nephrology News & Issues. “The ‘reimagined’ theme came about due to our need to pivot to a virtual platform for the first time in the history of hosting our annual meeting.
“Our program co-chairs Linda Fried, MD, and Jon Klein, MD, PhD, FASN, along with the education committee, have worked hard at developing a scientific program along with handling the details of the logistics involved to recreate a memorable experience – one that would recreate most aspects of an in-person Kidney Week.”
Founded in 1966, ASN is one of the oldest nephrology organizations in the United States, and it has maintained a live conference for more than 50 years.
Photo credit: Andrea Mabry
“While we have all enjoyed the various sites at which past annual meetings have taken place, Kidney Week has not succeeded because of a specific location,” according to the ASN website. “This year’s meeting is offered in a fully online format with educational presentations delivered live-streamed, simu-live and on-demand.”
That includes thousands of ePosters, a digital exhibit hall and virtual networking opportunities.
Much of the traditional meeting features will be replicated, including ASN’s early programs. There will be five this year and include the following:
- Advances in research conference: Single-cell biology;
- Basic research forum for emerging kidney scientists: A partnership between APS and ASN;
- Critical care nephrology: 2020 update;
- Glomerular diseases: 2020 update; and
- Maintenance dialysis.
ASN will also offer unique opportunities to network with other participants and exhibitors at Kidney Week through its Attendee Connect app. The app matches attendees with other participants based on registration information and presents opportunities to chat, email and have video meetings.
Changes for exhibitors
Kidney Week’s Exhibition Hall traditionally offers kidney care professionals networking opportunities. Things will be different with a virtual exhibit hall, Agarwal acknowledged, but said opportunities will be available.
“A vital part of the Kidney Week educational experience is found in the scientific exposition. This year in our digital exhibit hall, participants can engage in peer-to-peer interactions with representatives and businesses that form an integral part of our day-to-day fight against kidney diseases, including scheduling video meetings, chats and more,” he said.
ASN had more than 75 exhibitors registered as of press time that will be virtually available for conference attendees from Oct. 22-Dec. 4. There will also be exhibitor spotlights on the industry’s latest in nephrology practices, products, services and technologies. The spotlights are 60-minute presentations, but do not offer continuing education credits.
All spotlights will be available on-demand through Dec. 4.
Getting up close and personal with faculty will also be available through the Kidney Week forum, which will allow participants to interact in a chat group. All sessions have a chat/discussion board and allow participants to interact with faculty and one another.
Program
Plenary sessions will be open from Oct. 22-25, and will include discussion on racial inequities and COVID-19, program co-chair Fried told Nephrology News & Issues.
“Just like the rest of the world, we are affected greatly by COVID-19,” she said. “We have addressed COVID-19 in a number of sessions related to clinical care of CKD, AKI and [end-stage renal disease] ESRD, as well as policy.”
Equally important, Fried said, is the impact of these issues along with workload on the nephrologist.
“We need to recognize that we do not work in a vacuum. We are affected by stress and the cultural issues around us. We have sessions on physician burnout, sociocultural issues and transplant access.”
Clinical and scientific breakthroughs and discussions about new therapies are at the heart of the Kidney Week program each year, including presentation of late-breaking trials.
“We are excited about the basic science sessions that discuss remarkable single cell RNA and protein analysis,” program co-chair Klein told Nephrology News & Issues. “The creation of single cell gene and protein ‘atlases’ is already helping us understand basic mechanisms of kidney disease.”
“Clinically, we are in an exciting time in nephrology,” Fried added. “The sessions on SGLT2 inhibitors and other emerging (vanguard) treatments, as well as the late breaking trials will illustrate this, as well as how to integrate the information in clinical care.”
Kidney precision medicine is also beginning to show data on the importance of kidney biopsies in all kidney disease, not just glomerular disease, Fried noted.
“An exciting area of research that is bearing fruit is the discovery of biomarkers of kidney disease that guide more precise therapies,” Klein said. “The first, anti-PLA2R antibodies is now over 10 years old. This year at Kidney Week, new biomarker discoveries will be presented.”
Future Kidney Weeks
Fried said she could see developing Kidney Week education programs for a virtual audience in the future.
“Those of us who go to the ASN meeting know that that there is often more than one session we want to attend,” she said. “The ability to review recorded sessions means we do not have to miss a session that we are interested in or try to hop from one session to another. A virtual meeting also offers more flexibility, as some individuals cannot put aside the time to travel. You could access the information as it works in your schedule.”
“Most of what I perceive are advantages in expanding the audience for Kidney Week,” Klein said. “ASN staff have worked hard with the education committee to make this the most accessible Kidney Week ever.”
- For more information:
- Anupam Agarwal, MD, is director of the division of nephrology and executive vice dean of the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham and can be reached at 800-UAB-8816.
- Linda Fried, MD, is professor of medicine in epidemiology and clinical and translational science at the University of Pittsburgh and chief of peritoneal dialysis in the renal section of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and can be reached at linda.fried@va.gov.
- Jon Klein, MD, PhD, FASN, is vice-dean for research at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and Nephrology Division Chief at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center. He can be reached at jon.klein@louisville.edu.
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