Clinical trial design in nephrology is evolving. In this episode, leading experts explore why a paradigm shift is needed from traditional biomarkers to patient-centered outcomes and practical strategies for advancing trial implementation. This conversation draws on insights from the ISN Consensus Meeting on Changing Paradigms of Studies in CKD (Vancouver, Nov 22-23, 2024) where clinicians, trialists, patient partners, regulators and industry scientists came together to rethink trial endpoints, outcomes and designs. Together, they discuss how reimagining kidney trials can generate more relevant, equitable, and actionable evidence for better kidney care worldwide. 

Participants

Adeera Levin 
Professor of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada, and Past-President of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN). Dr. Levin is a global leader in kidney health research, with extensive experience in chronic kidney disease (CKD) management, clinical trials, and international health system strengthening. 

Jennifer Lees 
Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Nephrologist at the University of Glasgow, UK. Dr. Lees’ research focuses on improving patient outcomes in kidney disease through better trial design, biomarker evaluation, and translational approaches linking research to clinical care. 

Kevin Weinfurt 
Professor and Vice Chair of Faculty, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, USA. Dr. Weinfurt is a behavioural scientist specializing in patient-reported outcomes (PROMs), ethical aspects of research participation, and improving the relevance of clinical trials to patients lived experiences. 

Hiddo J. Lambers Heerspink 
Professor of Clinical Trials and Personalized Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands. Dr. Heerspink’s work bridges pharmacology, nephrology, and precision medicine, focusing on optimizing kidney and cardiovascular outcomes through innovative clinical trial design and biomarker discovery. 

To read more, explore the related paper Changing Paradigms of Studies in Kidney Diseases published in Kidney International.

In the latest Episode of the Global Kidney Care podcast Augusto Cesar Soares dos Santos Junior interviews Rolando Claure-Del Granado, a Clinical Research Investigator at the Biomedical Research Institute (IIBISMED) at Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Mayor de San Simon (Cochabamba, Bolivia) and a visiting professor of the UNESP - São Paulo State University (Brazil).

This podcast is part of an ongoing series of resources for the ISN Academy dedicated to the topic of AI and Nephrology. Augusto and Rolando discuss how AI is changing the outlook for patients with AKI and how it can be utilized by nephrologists to treat those with AKI. 

Winston Fung, an Associate Consultant at Prince of Wales Hospital and an Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor for the Chinese University of Hong Kong, hosts the second conversation on climate change and its impacts on kidney health. Winston is joined by Vivekanand Jha, The George Institute for Global Health, India, Professor of Nephrology at the University of Oxford, and the former President of the ISN. Also joining the conversation is Letizia De Chiara, junior PI at the University of Florence, Italy, and Maryvonne Hourmant, former president of the SFNDT. 

In the latest episode of the Global Kidney Care Podcast, host Winston Fung speaks to Luis Gustavo Modelli de Andrade, a Nephrologist at the Kidney Transplant Program, Hospital das Clínicas da UNESP – Botucatu in Brazil. 

They discuss the frontiers of artificial intelligence and its applications in medicine. Dr. Gustavo discusses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced modeling techniques such as deep learning. His work is focused on applying these technologies to nephrology and organ transplantation, helping to shape the future of patient care and medical innovation.

The latest episode of the Kidney Care Podcast is a Conversation with Peter Kotanko, a leading expert on artificial intelligence applications for kidney care and the Emeritus Director of the Renal Research Institute in New York, USA. This conversation on the intersection of AI and Nephrology is the first installment in a series of conversations on AI and is part of the new ISN Academy AI resource section on the ISN Academy. This resource page will be updated regularly, providing the latest original and curated material on AI and Nephrology.  

This special episode's participants are Winston Fung, Clinical Assistant Professor/ Associate Consultant, Division of Nephrology at the Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Isabelle Ethier, Nephrologist, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Canada and Caroline Stigant, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of British Columbia.

This is the  first of a multi-part ELP-GreenK series and part one we discuss the environmental impact of kidney care and what we can do about it! This episode is also part of the larger ISN GREEN-K initiative – Global Environmental Evolution in Nephrology and Kidney Care Curriculum on the ISN Academy. Visit to delve deeper into environmentally sustainable kidney care, all in the name of caring for our patients and the environment!

This episode features a discussion among kidney nurses about the challenges patients face while on their renal replacement journey, and the various ways nurses can support them and their caregivers. The conversation includes suggestions for new nurses entering the field, thoughts on improving patient support, and discusses how approaches may vary in different contexts.

Ana Elizabeth Prado Lima Figueiredo – Professor, School of Nursing at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul

Elaine Bowes – Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Level Nurse Practitioner in Peritoneal Dialysis at Kings College Hospital

Fatima de Figueiredo - Renal Vascular Access Nurse, Kings Renal Unit, King's College Hospital Foundation Trust

Jane van der Jeugd - Nurse Practitioner: Transplantation I Nephrology, Flinders Medical Centre, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network

Zehra Aydin - Assistant Professor at Istanbul Atlas University

In this special World Kidney Day podcast episode, Martina Pirotta, WKD Campaign Manager on behalf of the ISN, welcomes Dr. José Moura-Neto, President of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology, and Dr. Viviane Calice Silva, Director of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention of Kidney Diseases at the Brazilian Society of Nephrology to describe the current landscape of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Brazil. They discuss how Brazil commemorates World Kidney Day, with over 1,000 activities taking place annually, the impact of awareness initiatives, and a significant study on CKD screening using point-of-care creatinine testing across the country.

World Kidney Day (WKD) is observed annually on the second Thursday of March. In 2025, it falls on March 13, with the theme "Are Your Kidneys OK? Detect Early, Protect Kidney Health."

In this episode, WKD Joint Steering Committee ISN co-chair Dr. Li-Li Hsiao is joined by IFKF-WKA co-chair Dr. Dina Abdellatif and Prof. Alessandro Balducci, past co-chair and current committee member. Together, they discuss who is at higher risk for kidney disease, available tests for early detection, and the 8 Golden Rules for kidney disease prevention. They also highlight ways to get involved in the WKD campaign.

In this episode Shilpanjali Jesudason (Faculty), Head of Unit, Central and Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Service (CNARTS), Royal Adelaide Hospital, CALHN Clinical Professor, University of Adelaide and Rasha Shemies (Trainee) Assistant Professor of nephrology, Mansoura University, Egypt discuss the ISN Train the Trainer Program for Pregnancy and Kidney Disease. The Train the Trainer was designed to help those who have an interest in obstetric nephrology in their region to provide them material, resources and support to up-skill and most importantly be able to also go and teach about obstetric nephrology.