March 14th is World Kidney Day – a global event launched in 2006 by the International Society of Nephrology. This 
annual worldwide celebration aims to raise awareness of kidney health and ensure that patients with kidney disease have equitable access to care. This year’s World Kidney Day theme is “Kidney Health for All – Advancing equitable access to care and optimal medication practice.”
Kidney disease has a devastating impact on society: In the United States alone, more than 35 million individuals – one in seven adults – have chronic kidney disease (CKD).
The Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Stony Brook Medicine maintains active research programs focused on various kidney diseases. Ongoing basic, translational and clinical research within the division includes glomerular disease, tubular transport, diabetic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, kidney fibrosis, dialysis-related cardiomyopathy and transplantation. Faculty members have collaborations across various departments at Stony Brook Medicine, as well as numerous outside institutions.
Stony Brook Nephrology is part of the National Institute of Health (NIH)-sponsored multi-disciplinary training consortium of top medical centers in the region to advance the training of students and physicians in kidney research. The division has the second-highest number of NIH grants in the Department of Medicine, next to cancer.
Stony Brook Nephrology also leads the Kidney Disease Research domain in the NIH-sponsored National COVID Cohort Collaborative Registry, and participates in the CMS-sponsored ESKD Treatment Choices Model to implement evidence-based quality assurance measures to improve outcomes in patients with late-stage CKD and ESKD.
Among the recent advances in kidney care and research is the first molecular atlas of the human kidney, published by the Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP). Dr. Susan Hedayati, the Renaissance School of Medicine’s Vice Dean for Research, is a member of the KPMP.
The Division of Nephrology and Hypertension’s research focuses on the entire spectrum of kidney disorders, from investigating the fundamental mechanisms [CR1], to prevention and treatment, in order to facilitate the development of therapeutic interventions that have direct benefit to patients suffering from kidney disease.
You can celebrate World Kidney Day and advance kidney health education through social media — #ShowYourKidneys is a token to remind World Kidney Day supporters of the primary function of their kidneys and their location in their bodies. Find out other ways how you can show your support and participate in the campaign at worldkidneyday.org.
