The Division of Nephrology cares for patients with kidney diseases caused by diabetes and hypertension, the most common kidney diseases leading to kidney failure and the need for dialysis, patients with slowly progressing genetic diseases, or those with kidney stones with the goal to prevent future stone episodes. Other patients might have immune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus or an allergic drug reaction that affects kidney function. Given the range of presentation with kidney disease, the UConn nephrologists see patients in many settings: the hospital and intensive care unit, the office (both main campus and the Canton practice) and at ambulatory dialysis units.
Faculty members participate in education and training for first-year medical students through graduation, for internal medicine residents and for nephrology subspecialty training. Continuing Medical Education (CME) is also a large part of what we do, with local conferences including Medicine Grand Rounds, departmental CME courses and the Greater Hartford Nephrology Conference. Clinical electives for medical students and residents are organized to include both inpatient consultative nephrology as well as ambulatory nephrology exposure. We host visiting medical students and residents, as well as provide rotations for graduate nursing students in the APRN programs at UConn Storrs.
Research endeavors include basic and clinical research funded through the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, private foundation, and endowments. Our research activities cover a broad range of topics including fundamental investigation of cellular and molecular mechanisms of kidney injury, inflammation, and fibrosis; outcomes of dialysis and therapeutic plasma exchange; scholarly studies of unusual or rare kidney diseases; systematic evaluation of chronic periodontal disease in patients with chronic kidney disease. Each faculty member seeks to collaborate with colleagues to enhance new knowledge of kidney disease, clinical care, and medical education.