Frontiers in Kidney Medicine & Biology's podcast: Recent Episodes
The Renal Research Institute
Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology is an interview series presented by the Renal Research Institute (RRI) and hosted by Peter Kotanko, MD, FASN and Research Director at RRI. Each episode of the Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology series showcases an in-depth conversation with thought leaders from around the world. These foremost scientists and doctors share their insights into the latest advances in renal research and beyond, and assert how they are taking medicine, research, and science to exponentially higher levels. Each episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology series is available on the RRI website, YouTube channel, and podcasts on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
In this episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biointelligence, host Len Usvyat, MD, is joined by Amaka Eneanya, MD, MPH, FASN, Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and former Chief Transformation Officer at Emory Healthcare.
Dr. Eneanya reflects on kidney function estimation, the evolution of clinical tools in nephrology, and the role of communication, patient perspectives, and digital platforms in shaping medical discourse.
This episode offers an in-depth discussion on how research findings move from theory into real-world clinical practice.
What does it take to truly move MedTech from hardware-driven models to integrated digital ecosystems? In this episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biointelligence, Len Usvyat speaks with Jaime Osborn, VP of Strategy and Digital Solutions at Fresenius Medical Care, about the transformation underway in digital health.
Jamie shares insights from her work across clinical software, product management, and global digital strategy, including:
- Why the future of MedTech depends on connected digital ecosystems
- How clean, structured data is the foundation for meaningful AI
- Where AI offers quick wins and where it remains overhyped
- Why co-design with clinicians is essential
- How hardware is becoming a commodity while software drives value
- The challenge of scaling pilots into real-world clinical tools
- Designing global solutions with local configurability
This conversation highlights what's coming next for digital health, and why a digital-first approach matters now more than ever.
Follow the Renal Research Institute for more insights into kidney research, innovation, and computational medicine.
Aging, end-of-life planning, and depression are topics many people avoid, but for patients living with kidney disease, these realities are part of everyday life. In this episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biointelligence, host Len Usvyat speaks with Felicia Speed, PhD, LMSW, Vice President of Social Work Services at Fresenius Medical Care, about the emotional and psychological challenges patients face as their health declines.
With more than 26 years of experience in nephrology social work, Felicia discusses:
• How grief differs from depression, and why the distinction matters • What aging patients fear most — and what gives them meaning • The emotional weight carried by caregivers • How social workers help patients reimagine their future • Why listening is often more powerful than any intervention • The importance of capturing stories, legacy, and identity at end of life • The need for research that centers on patient narratives
She also shares moving patient stories that shed light on resilience, legacy, and the human connections formed in dialysis facilities.
If you work in kidney care or care for someone navigating chronic illnesses, this conversation offers a compassionate and deeply insightful perspective.
Subscribe for more discussions that spotlight innovation, humanity, and the future of kidney medicine.
In this episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and BioIntelligence, Len Usvyat, Head of Clinical Advanced Analytics at the Renal Research Institute, speaks with Ingrid Adelsberger, a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach who has lived with multiple sclerosis for more than 15 years.
Together, they explore the intersection of health coaching, exercise, and nutrition—and how these approaches can empower individuals with chronic conditions, including those with chronic kidney disease, to take an active role in their health.
Who truly deserves credit for a scientific publication? How can fairness and transparency in authorship strengthen research integrity?
In this episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine & BioIntelligence, Dr. Len Usvyat talks with Dr. Lisa Rasmussen, Professor of Philosophy at UNC Charlotte and Editor-in-Chief of Accountability in Research. Together, they explore:
• Why authorship remains the "currency" of academic success • How lack of universal standards fuels conflict • The rise of "gift" and "ghost" authorship • How AI is reshaping accountability in science • Best practices for transparency and shared responsibility
Welcome to the new season of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biointelligence!
In our season-opening episode, Len Usvyat speaks with Dr. Navdeep Tangri, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Professor of Medicine at the University of Manitoba, whose pioneering work transformed chronic kidney disease care through the development of the Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE).
Dr. Tangri shares his journey from early neural network experiments to creating one of the most widely implemented risk equations in nephrology. The conversation spans global validation of predictive models, the importance of guidelines and publishing, and the role of AI as a supporting tool—not a replacement—for clinicians.
Key topics include:
- The creation and worldwide adoption of the KFRE
- Overcoming barriers to data sharing and model validation
- Why local calibration strengthens prediction models
- How clinicians and technologists can work together to ensure AI augments, not replaces, medical expertise
Dr. Tangri emphasizes that nephrology must remain at the center, with AI serving as a powerful but secondary tool: “Nephrology first, AI second.”
In this special World Kidney Day episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology, we explore the life-changing power of kidney donation through the deeply personal stories of our guests:
✅ Dr. Maria E. Ferris, MD, MPH, PhD – A pediatric nephrologist, researcher, and a kidney donor to her son.✅ Ted Ferris – A three-time kidney transplant recipient sharing his experience from childhood to adulthood.✅ Chris Ivimey – An altruistic kidney donor who gave the gift of life to a stranger, creating a ripple effect of organ transplants.
🔎 What you’ll learn in this episode:✔️ The urgent need for living kidney donors✔️ How organ donation transforms lives across generations✔️ The medical reality of living with one kidney✔️ Personal experiences of resilience, gratitude, and hope
🩺 Did you know?
- Over 90,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a kidney transplant.
- Only 25,000 transplants occur each year—meaning thousands are left waiting.
- Living donation can DOUBLE the lifespan of a transplanted kidney compared to deceased donation.
🎥 Watch now to hear real-life stories that will inspire you to learn more, get involved, and spread awareness.
📌 Subscribe for more insights into kidney research and transplantation!
In this special episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology, Dr. Peter Kotanko reflects on his impactful leadership at the Renal Research Institute as he transitions the reins to Dr. Len Usvyat, Senior Vice President, Head of Renal Research Institute Advanced Analytics, Research & Insights. Together, they discuss:
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The evolution of data analytics and its impact on kidney care
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AI advancements and their future role in healthcare
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Building global collaborations and fostering diverse, innovative teams
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation celebrating the past, present, and future of renal research.
In this episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology, we have the honor of hosting Dr. Kirk Campbell, a renowned nephrologist from Mount Sinai Hospital and the newly elected President-Elect of the National Kidney Foundation. Dr. Campbell and our host, Dr. Peter Kotanko, discuss groundbreaking advancements in kidney care, including the role of AI, home diagnostics, and the impact of social determinants on kidney health. They also explore the challenges facing the nephrology workforce and the importance of early detection in preventing kidney disease progression. Tune in to this insightful conversation and stay ahead of the curve in kidney medicine!
In this episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology, we are honored to feature Dr. Ana Catalina Alvarez Elias and Dr. Rasha Hussein, both research scientists at the Renal Research Institute and members of the International Society of Nephrology’s Emerging Leaders Program 2024 cohort.
🌟 Episode Highlights:
- Discover Dr. Ana Catalina Alvarez Elias’s journey from Mexico to Canada and her dedication to pediatric kidney care.
- Hear Dr. Rasha Hussein’s firsthand experiences in Sudan during civil unrest and her focus on improving epidemiology and registries.
- Learn about the significance of global collaboration and networking in advancing kidney health initiatives worldwide.
Tune in to hear their inspiring stories and their vision for the future of nephrology. Subscribe to our podcast for more episodes and stay updated with the latest in kidney medicine and research.
In this episode of #Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology, Dr. Peter Blankestijn from the Department of Nephrology at the University Medical Center, Utrecht; Krister Cromm, Expert Director of Patient Experience and Clinical Research at Fresenius Medical Care; and Dr. Sandip Mitra, Consultant Nephrologist and Honorary Lecturer at the University of Manchester, join Dr. Peter Kotanko, Head of Biomedical Evidence Generation and the Renal Research Institute, to talk about the groundbreaking CONVINCE Study and the impressive results that came from it. Learn how this study came to fruition and its most important outcomes.
The Renal Research Institute is excited to be back with #Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology, where Dr. Peter Kotanko, Head of Biomedical Evidence Generation and the Renal Research Institute, discusses and shares the latest knowledge and advances in kidney research. In this episode, Dr. Edwina Brown, Consultant Nephrologist and President of the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) sits down with Dr. Kotanko to talk about her goals as president of the ISPD and her plans to make peritoneal dialysis more accessible to low- and middle- income countries.
Join Dr. Peter Kotanko, MD, FASN, Head of Biomedical Evidence Generation and Renal Research Institute, and John Daugirdas, MD, FACP, FASN, Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Medicine at Chicago, as they discuss aspects of dialysis patient prescription.
Join Dr. Peter Kotanko, MD, FASN, Head of Biomedical Evidence Generation and Renal Research Institute, and Peter Stenvinkel, MD, PhD, Professor of Renal Medicine at Karolinska Institutet they discuss the principles of early vascular aging in chronic kidney disease. We will also discuss what we can learn from the animal kingdom in order to identify novel opportunities to slow down the aging process in humans with the burden of lifestyle diseases. We will also discuss the role of and identification of biomarkers of biological age.
Join Dr. Peter Kotanko, MD, FASN Head of Biomedical Evidence Generation and Renal Research Institute, and Axel Loewe, PhD, Group Leader "Computational Cardiac Modeling" at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) as they discuss the opportunities that the electrocardiogram (ECG) offers for the detection of electrolyte imbalances. The advantages of the ECG and the current state of the art of manual and automatic algorithms are summarized. A particular field of interest is the use of machine learning methods for an automatic classification or regression of electrolyte imbalances and concentrations, respectively.
Join Drs. Peter Kotanko from the Renal Research Institute and Nicholas Selby from the University of Nottingham for their discussion about hemodialysis, one of the main treatments for kidney failure, but also a treatment that can have adverse consequences. Some of these relate to the 'stress' that dialysis can exert on the cardiovascular system, which in turn affects the delivery of blood to different organs. We will discuss how this happens, what it means for patients, and what can be done to address this.
In this episode, Dr. Peter Kotanko, MD FASN, Research Director from Renal Research Institute is joined by Drs. Valerie Luyckx, MBBCh, MSc, PhD from Children's Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland & Marcello Tonelli, MD, SM, FRCPC from the University of Calgary, as they discuss the intersection between kidney medicine and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In this episode of Frontiers In Kidney Medicine & Biology, Dr. Peter Kotanko, Research Director at Renal Research Institute (RRI) is joined by Dr. Alhaji Cherif, PhD, Principal Mathematician also from RRI as they discuss the use of mathematical modeling and computations to gain insights into the pandemic in order to provide effective intervention measures and to understand the drivers of the contagion among kidney patients.
In this episode of Frontiers in Kidney Medicine & Biology, Dr. Peter Kotanko, Research Director at Renal Research Institute is joined by Dr. Fokko Pieter Wieringa, PhD, Principal Scientist at IMEC in The Netherlands as they address what pervasive sensing is (including some examples), as well as go into the opportunities and risk of pervasive sensing. If time allows, we will discuss in what direction pervasive sensing may be going.
In this episode, Dr. Peter Kotanko is joined by Dr. Roberto Pecoit-Filho, Senior Research Scientist from the Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, to discuss the differences between anemia in the general population and in patients with kidney disease. We also discuss the current understanding of the mechanisms behind CKD anemia and the perspective of the introduction of new treatment options and an expansion in the understanding of the pathophysiology.
In this session, we join Drs. Peter Kotanko & Bernard Canaud suggest that monthly monitoring of SCI, as part of routine baseline dialysis patient monitoring, will offer a new and cost-effective tool to detect earlier nutritional status deterioration. SCI used as a surrogate marker of active MM would facilitate detection of sarcopenia trends, offering opportunities to implement interventions that might delay, and halt or even reverse such deleterious dynamics. SCI can be easily integrated and used as a first-line tool in complement to visceral proteins (i.e., albumin) to monitor muscle mass changes in clinical routine.
In this session join Drs. Peter Kotanko, Research Director of the Renal Research Institute & Jeroen Kooman, Professor at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, discuss the pathophysiology of hypoxemia and hypoxia in patients on dialysis will be discussed, as well as the mechanisms by which these phenomena are related to adverse outcomes. The maladaptive responses in patients on dialysis will be discussed in the context of comparative physiology, with the example of Sherpa, which shows a highly adaptive response to ambient hypoxia. It will also be discussed how lessons from comparative physiology might be of potential benefit to patients on dialysis.
This session discusses Dr. David Keane's (Leeds Teaching Hospitals' Clinical Scientist) research interests in general and particularly a piece of research that aimed to describe the time of onset of intradialytic hypotension during hemodialysis sessions. This will lead to discussions, with Dr. Peter Kotanko (RRI's Research Director) of what the research can teach us about how we prescribe the length and frequency of hemodialysis sessions.
A discussion between Drs. Peter Kotanko and Richard Weller on the latter's research into the effects of sunlight on systemic health. Dr. Weller describes two recent epidemiological studies he has performed in which he demonstrated an inverse relationship between sunlight exposure and blood pressure, and COVID mortality. He has previously demonstrated NO release from UV exposed skin to the circulation which may account for these effects.
Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology is an interview series presented by the Renal Research Institute (RRI) and hosted by Research Director, Peter Kotanko, MD, FASN. Each episode of the Frontiers in Kidney Medicine and Biology series showcases an in-depth conversation with thought leaders from around the world. These foremost scientists and doctors share their insights into the latest advances in renal research and beyond, and assert how they are taking medicine, research, and science to exponentially higher levels. Each episode of the is available on the RRI website, YouTube channel, and wherever you listen to your podcasts.