KNO speaks to Dr. Javier Neyra about the relaunch of the AKI Community

ImageDisplay.aspx.jpgASN Communities has relaunched the -AKI Community. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the decision to relaunch the AKI Community, as well as information on the Community Leaders that will be posting educational information and responding to your questions, Kidney News Online reached out to Dr. Javier Neyra, MD, MS, FASN, one of the new AKI Community Leaders.

ImageDisplay.aspx.jpgASN Communities has relaunched the -AKI Community. To get a behind-the-scenes look at the decision to relaunch the AKI Community, as well as information on the Community Leaders that will be posting educational information and responding to your questions, Kidney News Online reached out to Dr. Javier Neyra, MD, MS, FASN, one of the new AKI Community Leaders.

Q: What is your approach to the Community? In interacting, organizing, etc.?

A: We have outlined a novel approach of discussing relevant topics in the AKI & Critical Care Nephrology field every 2-4 weeks. The topic selection and dynamics are based on the participation by members of the community, new published evidence, controversial topics or relevant policy changes. In fact, our first discussion titled: CRRT in ICU: Bone of Contention or Opportunity for Collaboration is available for comments! We will be also very receptive to any topic suggestions by members of the community. Each community leader will lead one discussion at the time and all community leaders will be available to participate and moderate the discussions, involving experts in the field as much as possible.  Of course, members of the community can continue posting questions relevant to the field, which will be addressed and/or re-directed by community leaders as much as possible. One important characteristic of this group of community leaders is that we are receptive to feedback and continuously embrace positive change; therefore, we can keep improving the dynamics of the Community to better serve the overall goal of promoting integration, dialogue, and collaboration. So, let’s all work together to make this a useful platform, and citing the words of Estragon to Vladimir in Waiting for Godot “Let us do something while we have the chance”.
 

Q: What is your interest in AKI and how do you think that the Community will help raise awareness and educate members?

A: My clinical interest is in Critical Care Nephrology. Unfortunately, critically ill patients commonly suffer from AKI, which is a systemic syndrome associated with high mortality rates, dismal multiorgan dysfunction and increased healthcare resource utilization. In this context, my research interest is in the area of AKI, specifically early detection, risk-stratification, mechanisms of recovery, and progression to acute and chronic kidney disease. Over the last few years there has been a notable increase in awareness of the epidemiological importance of AKI and recognition of its consequences. However, there is still a scarcity of scientific discovery and evidence-based practice significantly impacting patients with AKI. Therefore, I firmly believe that establishing accessible and dynamic bridges of communication and scientific collaboration can help in developing multidisciplinary teams that work towards a common goal of improving the care of patients suffering from AKI.
 

Q: Tell us about the different backgrounds of the Community Leaders and how each will bring a unique perspective to the community.

A: We assembled a diverse group of AKI community leaders that bring different angles of interest, expertise and enthusiasm. Dr. Sarah Huen, MD, PhD is a clinician-scientist at UT Southwestern with interest in renal metabolism in sepsis, AKI, and other states of inflammation. Dr. Ankit Sakhuja, MBBS, FASN is an academic nephrologist and intensivist at West Virginia University with interest in point-of-care ultrasonography and fluid regulation in critically ill patients and AKI biomarkers. Dr. Jorge Castaneda, MD is an academic nephrologist and intensivist at the University of Mississippi with interest in organ cross-talk during AKI and critical illness, with particular interest in hepatorenal and cardiorenal interactions. Despite our distinct backgrounds and interests, we share the desire to generate an inclusive, dynamic, and enthusiastic community to promote dialogue, education, collaborative research, and hopefully, impact the bedside care of patients with AKI.
 

Join the AKI Community Now!

 

The diverse group of AKI community leaders bring different angles of interest, expertise, and enthusiasm.  Each of the community leaders desire to generate an inclusive, dynamic, and enthusiastic community to promote dialogue, educate, and collaborate. Your participation in this community will help directly impact the bedside care of patients with AKI.

 AKI Community Leaders

  • Javier A. Neyra, MD, MS, FASN is an is an academic nephrologist and Director of the Acute Care Nephrology & CRRT Program at the University of Kentucky. He has implemented a specialized AKI Survivor Clinic that follows over 100 survivors of AKI per year. His research interest is in the area of AKI and includes: risk-stratification, mechanisms of recovery, and progression to acute and chronic kidney disease.

    He believes that establishing accessible and dynamic bridges of communication and scientific collaboration can help developing multidisciplinary teams that work towards a common goal of improving the care of patients suffering from AKI.
     
  • Sarah Huen, MD, PhD is a physician scientist, nephrologist and an assistant professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in the departments of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology. She received her initial medical training at Northwestern University and completed her Internal Medicine residency training at New York University Medical Center. Intrigued by the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury and frustrated by the lack of any viable therapeutic options, she pursued a research nephrology fellowship and a Ph.D. degree in Investigative Medicine at Yale University in the laboratory of Dr. Lloyd Cantley studying the role of macrophages in ischemic kidney injury. She then completed post-graduate training in the laboratory of Dr. Ruslan Medzhitov studying the role of anorexia in infections and the mechanisms of tissue tolerance. Her current research interests focus on investigating protective fasting metabolic pathways in the context of inflammation, sepsis, and kidney injury.
     
  • Ankit Skhuja, MBBS, FASN is an intensivist and a transplant nephrologist currently working at the cardiovascular ICU at the West Virginia University. In his current position he is both the intensivist and the acute care nephrologist for patients under WVU care. As such, he is responsible for managing different forms of supportive therapies including ventilators, CRRT, ECMO etc. 

    Despite the high prevalence and worse outcomes associated with AKI in critically ill patients, the field is ripe with opportunities to discover various etiologic, diagnostic and treatment pathways. Though there has been increasing interest in understanding various aspects of AKI, much still needs to be done. Therefore, as an intensivist, a nephrologist and a researcher, he finds the study of AKI to be full of intrigue, excitement and extremely rewarding.
     
  • Jorge Castaneda, MD is an assistant professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Critical Care Medicine, Nephrology, Critical Care Ultrasound. His primary areas of interest are mechanism of AKI, fluid homeostasis, heart and liver interaction with renal function, critical care physiology, intra renal hemodynamics, extracorporeal therapies including ECMO, CRRT, MARS and toxicology. 
     

Join the AKI Community Now!

 

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