Ravindra L. Mehta, MD, FACP, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine’s Division of Nephrology and associate chair of clinical research at the UCSD Department of Medicine, has received the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) 2011 Shire Bywaters Award.
The award was established by the ISN to recognize lifetime achievement and outstanding contributions to the understanding of acute kidney injury in critically ill patients. It was awarded to Mehta at the recent biannual Acute Renal Failure Satellite Symposia, held in conjunction with the World Congresses of Nephrology.
An internationally recognized expert in acute kidney injury, Mehta directs the Acute Dialysis Program at UC San Diego Health System. His research has focused on the epidemiology and management of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. His many contributions to the field have led to the development of citrate anticoagulation for continuous renal replacement therapies, formation of the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN), diagnostic and staging criteria for AKI, and the development of guidelines for AKI management. He also initiated an international registry project involving 15 institutions from around the world, all contributing epidemiological information on AKI to help guide the design of new clinical trials.
Mehta is also chair of ISN’s Committee on Acute Kidney Injury which seeks to raise awareness. Previously called acute renal failure, AKI is a rapid loss of kidney function. Its causes are numerous and include low blood volume, exposure to substances harmful to the kidney, or obstruction of the urinary tract.
Mehta received his MD and DM degrees from the PostGraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, before emigrating to the U.S. almost 30 years ago. Kidney care in India is still close to his heart. “Last year, I was fortunate enough to go to India as an ISN ambassador,” Mehta said. “As part of that program, we convened a forum of Indian nephrologists interested in AKI. We left the symposium with the understanding that AKI will be an area for future focus.”
ISN has also spearheaded an initiative with doctors from the U.S. and India to improve the delivery of renal care and boost renal research in that country.
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Media Contact: Debra Kain, 619-543-6163, ddkain@ucsd.edu