Those who attended the 2021 Eduardo Slatopolsky Lectureship, in person or virtually, not only heard an excellent talk on kidney health equity, but also witnessed the celebration of one of WashU Nephrology’s icons.
The lectureship, back on track after being postponed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, featured Deidra Crews, MD ScM, FASN, FACP, who presented “Centering the Margins to Achieve Kidney Health Equity.”
Dr. Crews is an Professor of Medicine and Deputy Director of the Center for Health Equity, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is also jointly appointed in the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and holds faculty appointments with the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, the Center on Aging and Health and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, where she is Associate Director for Research Development. In addition, Crews is founding director of the Johns Hopkins Doctoral Diversity Program, which helps prepare socioeconomically under-resourced students for future success and leadership as physicians or biomedical research professionals.
A physician-scientist, Crews is a national leader in the study of the causes, effects, and health disparities associated with chronic kidney disease. Her laboratory focuses on how social determinants of health, such as poverty and access to healthful food, explain disparities in people with this condition and how it is managed. Follow @DrDeidraCrews on Twitter.
The 2021 Slatopolsky lectureship was held during the Department of Medicine’s Medical Grand Rounds, which presented the perfect backdrop to honor the contributions of an icon of not only our Division, but all of Washington University. After the lecture, participants were treated to the unveiling of an oil painting of Aubrey Morrison, MBBS, MACP, FASN, Professor Emeritus, Division of Nephrology.
Dr. Morrison has the reputation as a meticulous, caring physician and a role model, mentor, and champion for trainees. A true trailblazer, he was the first Black physician elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation and one of only four Black men elected to the honorary society pre-2000. When he was promoted to Professor of Medicine in 1987, he was the first Black faculty member at WashU School of Medicine to achieve a full professorship.
Morrison is the recipient of the 2020 Barnes-Jewish Hospital medical staff association Lifetime Achievement Award, and was just recently bestowed the 2021 Distinguished Graduate Award by the Association of Medical and Dental Graduates Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). He was on the faculty of our Division for more than 45 years before retiring in late 2020.
The portrait will be displayed in a prominent location near our Chromalloy American Kidney Dialysis Center.
The lectureship honors Eduardo Slatopolsky, MD, Professor Emeritus, Division of Nephrology, who dedicated his career to the study of kidney disease and mineral metabolism. He is recognized worldwide for his contributions to the understanding of the pathophysiology of secondary hyperparathyroidism, hyperphosphatemia and vitamin D biology.
Previous speakers for the Eduardo Slatopolsky Lectureship include Carmen Peralta, MD, MAS, in 2019, and Martin Pollak, MD, in 2018.
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