Read the latest news from the Nephrology Division.
Social Worker Lexi Poepper Joins WashU Nephrology at Forest Park Kidney Center
Please welcome Alexis “Lexi” Poepper, MSW, LMSW, as our new Social Worker at Forest Park Kidney Center. Lexi earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Central Missouri, completed a master’s degree in social work at the University of Missouri – Columbia, and is a licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) in […]
WashU Nephrology Presents at 2024 NKF Spring Clinical Meetings
Several members of WashU Nephrology will take part in the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Spring Clinical Meetings (SCM), being held May 14 – 18, 2024, in Long Beach, CA. The annual meeting serves as NKF’s premier educational event designed for the entire inter-professional kidney healthcare team. Participants have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge innovations, […]
Dr. Jeffrey Miner’s Research Group Lands KI Journal Cover
Congratulations to the research group headed by Jeffrey Miner, PhD, on their recent publication that landed the cover of Kidney International. The colorful cover photograph, illustrating paraffin immunofluorescence of different collagen IV chains, is a figure from their article “Quantitative assessment of glomerular basement membrane (GBM) collagen IV α chains in paraffin sections from patients […]
Portales-Castillo to Present at ENDO 2024 Rising Stars Power Talks
WashU Nephrology physician-scientist Ignacio Portales-Castillo, MD, has been selected to present his research at the Rising Stars Power Talks competition (formerly known as the Knockout Rounds) during the upcoming June 2024 ENDO conference in Boston, Massachusetts. The Rising Stars Power Talks provides a dynamic and fast-paced setting platform for early career and in-training members to […]
Obituary: Dr. Eduardo Slatopolsky, World Renowned Nephrologist
It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Eduardo Slatopolsky, MD, Professor Emeritus, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Division of Nephrology, who died April 24, 2024. Eduardo dedicated his career to the study of kidney disease and mineral metabolism. His contributions to the understanding of the pathophysiology of secondary […]
Four Students Accepted into O’Brien Center CKD Research Summer Internship
WashU Nephrology’s Summer Opportunities for Achievement in Research (SOAR) program has accepted four students for its inaugural internship starting in the summer of 2024. SOAR is an immersive research program for undergraduate students interested in pursuing nephrology research. The program is part of the recently established Washington University Kidney O’Brien Center for Chronic Kidney […]
First Study from WashU Kidney O’Brien Center for CKD Research Published in Nature Communications
The recently established Washington University Kidney O’Brien Center for Chronic Kidney Disease Research has its first publication. Haojia Wu, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, WashU Nephrology, is first author of the article “High resolution spatial profiling of kidney injury and repair using RNA hybridization-based in situ sequencing,” published in Nature Communications (volume 15, article number: 1396, Feb […]
Michelle Bloom Returns to WashU Nephrology as Research Nurse Coordinator II for Glomerular Center of Excellence
We are delighted to welcome Michelle Bloom, RN, BSN, back to Washington University Division of Nephrology where she is assuming the role of Research Nurse Coordinator II for our recently established Glomerular Center of Excellence (GCE). Michelle has been with WashU for over 17 years. She initially joined our division in 2007 as a Home […]
“A Beautiful Day with Our Kidney Community” – Noble Nephrons Raise Nearly $5000 for Patients with Kidney Disease
The 2024 St. Louis National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Kidney Walk held last Sunday at Westport Plaza was a big success, raising over $93,000 that will provide support and education to patients with kidney disease. WashU Nephrology’s Noble Nephrons, the 3rd highest fundraising team, raised nearly $5000, which far exceeded their initial goal of $2500. “We enjoyed […]
Mahjoub Lab Celebrates Recent Publications on Critical Role of Centrosomes in Kidney Development and Function
Congratulations to the research team of the Mahjoub Laboratory, who are celebrating their multiple recent publications, one of which landed the cover of the journal JCI Insight. The WashU Nephrology laboratory, headed by Moe Mahjoub, PhD, focuses on defining the roles of centrosome-cilium complex during kidney development and homeostasis. These signaling hubs regulate key aspects […]
Dr. Kathleen Liu to Speak at 2024 Eduardo Slatopolsky Lectureship
Nephrologist Kathleen Liu, MD, PhD, MAS, Professor of Medicine and Anesthesia at the University of California, San Francisco, will be the guest speaker at the 2024 Eduardo Slatopolsky Lectureship in Renal and Electrolyte Disorders. The event will be held at Medicine Grand Rounds, Thursday, March 21, at 8am in Clopton Auditorium. Dr. Liu will discuss […]
Preeclampsia vs Dual Organ Transplant vs Animal House and More … NephMadness 2024 is Underway!
The 12th NephMadness is officially underway. The month-long event, hosted by AJKD Blog, is an online, interactive, educational activity modeled on March Madness, the annual US college basketball tournament, with the exception that nephrology topics fill in for basketball teams. Social media tools are used to encourage a good-natured, robust discussion about the latest news […]
Dr. Atlee Baker, WashU Nephrology Fellow, Selected for ASN Internship
Atlee Baker, MD, MPH a first-year fellow at WashU Nephrology, has accepted an internship with the Transforming Dialysis Access Together (TDAT) initiative of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Falling under the umbrella of the Excellence in Patient Care Advisory Committee, TDAT aims to enhance the quality of life for patients with kidney failure by […]
Dr. Safaa Hammoud Awarded AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship for Chronic Kidney Injury Research
Congratulations to Safaa Hammoud, PhD, a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the laboratory of Leslie Gewin, MD, for receiving a 2024 American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship. The award provides two years of funding for her project “Blocking Tubular Cell Cycle Induces Protective Metabolic Changes in Chronic Kidney Disease.” After receiving her PhD in pharmacology […]
Lisa Koester-Wiedemann and Cheryl Cress to Participate in the Annual Dialysis Conference 2024
WashU Nephrology Nurse Practitioner Lisa Koester-Wiedemann, MSN, CS, CNN-NP, and Clinical Nurse Coordinator of Home Modalities Cheryl Cress, RN, CNN, will participate in the Annual Dialysis Conference (ADC) program being held March 8-10, 2024. Now in its 44th year, the ADC hosts an international community of practitioners and researchers to explore both the fundamental principles […]














