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Message from the Chief

The Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension provides world-class, comprehensive clinical care to patients with all forms of acute and chronic kidney diseases, and maintains one of the nation’s busiest center for kidney transplantation. Our approach to clinical nephrology is steeped in a tradition of academic excellence and a firm commitment to training the next generation of nephrologists in our fellowship program and of physician scientists and scientists in our research program.

Our mission is to enhance the health of patients who are at risk of developing or already suffer from kidney disease and to facilitate the advancement of the Division to the forefront of clinical and experimental innovation. Our goal is to maintain the standard parameters of academic growth based on excellent clinical care, education and funded translational research and to promote innovation through interdisciplinary and community engagement.

Our program is designed to adapt fluidly and seamlessly to the interests of a fellow who decides to train at our Institution, thus offering a personalized training opportunity. We have assembled a unique infrastructure and team of mentors that can grant training towards a successful career in academic nephrology (clinical or basic research oriented), education, or private practice. We are prepared to support and mentor our trainees along the journey of their nephrology fellowship, thus
granting the development of the clinical skills and the knowledge necessary for a successful career in Nephrology.

Sincerely,
Alessia Fornoni, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief, Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension



Our Division

Professors

Gabriel Contreras, MD MPH

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital Clinical Interests: General nephrology, hypertension/resistant hypertension/ isolated systolic hypertension, glomerular disorders, renal vascular diseases, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, renal transplantation, endstage renal disease/chronic renal insufficiency, kidney and liver diseases, critical care nephrology and renal replacement therapy in the ICU Research Interests: Hypertension, chronic kidney disease, lupus nephrtis

Alessia Fornoni, MD PhD

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital Clinical Interests: Diabetic nephropathy, glomerular diseases, inherited nephropathies, chronic kidney disease. Research Interests: Podocytes and mechanisms of proteinuria, nephrotic syndrome, Diabetes and diabetic complications, lipid biology and insulin signaling, drug development, target identification.

Warren Kupin, MD

Fellowship: Henry Ford Hospital Clinical Interests: Transplant Nephrology Research Interests: Transplant immunosuppression, medical education.

David Roth, MD

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital Clinical Interest: Kidney Transplantation Research Interests: Kidney transplantation, Hepatitis C virus infection in CKD and post kidney transplantation.

Oliver Lenz, MD MBA

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital Clinical Interests: Acute and chronic kidney disease, glomerular diseases, and dialysis Research Interests: Glomerulonephritis, progression of chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic kidney disease

Giselle Guerra, MD

Fellowship: Shands Hospital at the University of Florida (2005-2006) Clinical Interests: Transplant nephrology, living kidney donation Research Interests: Living kidney donation outcomes, recurrence of glomerulonephritis and HIV in kidney transplants.

Associate Professors

Jair Munoz-Mendoza, MD

Fellowship: Stanford University Clinical Interests: Acute and chronic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis, hypertension, nephrolithiasis, conventional hemodialysis, long nocturnal hemodialysis, renal care post-nephrectomy. Research Interests: Dialysate sodium, volume overload and hypertension in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, residual renal function in ESRD on hemodialysis, outcomes on hemodialysis, long nocturnal hemodialysis, glomerulonephritis, renal function post-nephrectomy.

Mariella Ortigosa-Goggins, MD

Fellowship: Henry Ford Hospital Clinical Interests: Transplant nephrology Research Interests: Transplant nephrology outcomes, APOL1 genotype and renal function in donors.

Marco A. Ladino Avellaneda, MD

Fellowship: University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hopsital Clinical Interests: Chronic kidney disease, end stage renal disease, kidney transplant, hypertension. Research Interests: Hepatitis C and chronic kidney disease, tele-medicine, medical education.

Assistant Professors

Adriana Dejman, MD

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital (2015-2017) Clinical Interests: Chronic kidney disease, end stage renal disease, dialysis, peritoneal dialysis. Research interests: Peritoneal dialysis.

Adela Mattiazzi, MD

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital Clinical interests: highly sensitized patients; desensitization treatments, prevention and treatment of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) and transplant glomerulopathy. Recurrence of glomerulonephritis and HIV in kidney transplants, therapeutic plasma exchange in solid organ transplants, pulmonary hypertension in CKD. Research interests: Desensitization, AMR prevention and treatment, UTI, kidney biopsy, HIV. Pulmonary hypertension in CKD.

Zain Mithani, MD

Fellowship: Cornell/New York Presbyterian Clinical Interests: Onconephrology and Medical Education Research interests: Onconephrology

Marie A. Sosa, MD

Fellowship: Tufts University Clinical Interests: Chronic kidney disease, hyponatremia Research Interests: Quality improvement

Javier Pagan, MD

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital Clinical Interests: Transplant nephrology Research Interests: Kidney transplant outcomes, acute and chronic rejection, recurrent glomerulonephritis after transplant, pregnancy, chronic kidney disease and transplantation.

Yelena Drexler, MD

Fellowship: Columbia University Medical Center, New York Clinical Interests: Glomerular disease, hypertension, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, chronic kidney disease Research Interests: Glomerular disease and Hypertension

Lumen Mendez-Castaner, MD

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital Clinical Interests: Transplant nephrology Research Interests: Kidney transplant outcomes, acute and chronic rejection

Efren Alejandro Chavez Morales, MD

Fellowship: New York Presbyterian - Columbia Medical Center Clinical Interests: Glomerular Disease, ADPKD, peritoneal dialysis, hypertension Research Interests: Obinutuzumab in lupus nephritis, Phase 3 study

Juan Duque, MD

Fellowship: University of Miami Division of Nephrology/Jackson Memorial Hospital (2017-2019) Clinical Interests: Intervention Nephrology Research interests: Vascular Access

Research Assistant Professors

Hassan Al-Ali PhD

Dr. Al-Ali is a biochemist with expertise in biological, chemical, and computational sciences. He is an expert in assay development, including biochemical and cell-based assays for screening applications. He has extensive knowledge in the application of informatics and machine learning to early-stage drug discovery. At UM, Dr. Al-Ali leads several projects within the areas of CNS.

Research Associate Professors

Sandra Merscher, PhD

Using a basic science and translational research approach, Dr. Merscher’s laboratory is focused on elucidating and understanding the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the development of proteinuria in kidney disease with a focus on focal segmental glomerulorsclerosis (FSGS) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

Voluntary Faculty

Ivonne Hernandez Schulman, MD

Fellowship: University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Clinical Interests: Hypertension Research Interests: Cardiovascular and renal molecular biology, stem cell culture techniques, and the design and implementation of stem cell preclinical studies and clinical trials for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and frailty.

Vasuki Venkat, MD

Fellowship: University of California, San Diego Clinical interests: Acute kidney injury Research Interests: Renal microbiome in chronic kidney disease

Alan Rose, MD

Training: Albert Einstein New York Clinical interests: Trade off hypothesis and intact single nephron theory and medical education.