Ravi I. Thadhani, MD, MPH
Citation: Kidney News 12, 10/11
ASN will recognize the wide-ranging contributions of Ravi I. Thadhani, MD, MPH, with the presentation of the John P. Peters Award. The Peters Award is given for outstanding contributions to improving the lives of patients and furthering the understanding of the kidneys in health and disease.
Dr. Thadhani is the chief academic officer at Partners Healthcare, dean for academic programs at Harvard Medical School, and a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the former head of the division of nephrology at Massachusetts General.
Dr. Thadhani has two major areas of research interest: medical complications of pregnancy and dialysis mortality. His pregnancy-related studies have centered on human studies in the area of angiogenic factors and preeclampsia. In dialysis, his team has conducted studies examining the effect of vitamin D in the survival of chronic hemodialysis patients.
His main focus in the study of kidney diseases is the cardiovascular and infectious consequences of defective vitamin D signaling in individuals with kidney failure. His team has performed several hypothesis-generating observational studies suggesting that therapy with activated vitamin D sterols is associated with improved survival among patients with kidney failure. These studies included thousands of dialysis patients and have been confirmed by more than 25 independent investigators worldwide. National and international guidelines have taken note of these studies, and clinical practices have implemented their findings. He has collaborated with basic scientists to move these hypotheses forward and is currently performing randomized trials to formally test these hypotheses in humans.
His research has led to the publication of more than 250 peer-reviewed articles, eight book chapters, and many review articles and invited commentaries. Dr. Thadhani has also mentored several fellows and junior faculty members, who have developed strong track records of publications and faculty appointments at leading institutions around the country.
He has served ASN in a variety of capacities, including as a member of the annual meeting program committee. For the National Kidney Foundation, he has chaired the clinical research committee and served on the annual meeting planning committee.
He has been on the editorial boards of JASN, Kidney International, and Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. He was associate editor of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases and has been a guest editor of JASN.
Dr. Thadhani received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his internship, residency, and nephrology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.
