Editorial introductions

Abstract

Current Opinion in Nephrology and Hypertension was launched in 1992. It is part of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of nephrology and hypertension is divided into 12 sections that are each reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Editor and Section Editors for this issue. EDITOR IN CHIEF Barry M. BrennerBarry M. BrennerBarry M. Brenner is Director Emeritus of the Renal Division, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. He earned a B.S. in biology at the Long Island University, USA, in 1958, and his M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA in 1962. Dr Brenner completed his internship and residency at the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, USA in 1966. He continued his career in research positions at the National Heart Institute, and the University of California, San Francisco, USA before arriving at Harvard in 1976. Dr Brenner has held various positions at the Brigham and Women's Hospital including: Director, Laboratory of Kidney and Electrolyte Physiology, Senior Physician and Director. His basic and clinical research focuses on mechanisms of glomerular function in health and disease. Dr Brenner is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (Councillor from 1980 to 1982, Vice-President from 1983 to 1984), the American Society of Nephrology (Councillor from 1980 to 1986, President from 1986 to 1987). Furthermore, a member of the American Society of Hypertension (Organizing Committee from 1985 to 1987, Executive Committee from 1986 to 1995, President from 1994 to 1995), International Society of Nephrology (Councillor from 1987 to 1998, Co-Chairman, Commission for Global Advancement of Nephrology from 1994 to 1999), American Association of Physicians (Councillor, from 1995 to 1999); and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (Chair, Section on Medical Sciences from 1995 to 1998). Dr Brenner has received numerous awards and accolades, including his most recent honors: Best Doctors in America, Second Edition (1997); Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, London (1998); Jean Hamburger Award (1999) and Amgen Prize (2003), International Society of Nephrology; and the Homer Smith (1984) and John P. Peters (2000) Awards, American Society of Nephrology. Dr Brenner has held 25 editorial board appointments, has published more than 600 scientific articles and 45 books and has participated in over 300 lectures and/or professorships. He has since received honorary degrees from Harvard University (A.M., 1977), Long Island University (D.Sc.,1987), Universite’ de Paris, France, Pierre et Marie Curie (D.Med. Sci., 1992), France, and Universidad Complutense de Madrid (M.D. 2002), Spain. Dr Brenner was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003. SECTION EDITORS Kamyar Kalantar-ZadehKamyar Kalantar-ZadehProf. Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh is a triple board-certified physician, who studied medicine at the Universities of Bonn and Nuremberg in Germany (MD degree) and received MPH and PhD degrees in epidemiology from University of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, USA. Dr Kalantar's postgraduate training includes an internship training in Nuremberg, Germany, residency training in internal medicine and also in pediatrics in the State University of New York (SUNY, 1993–97), USA and a nephrology fellowship at University of California San Francisco (UCSF, 1997–2000), USA. During 2000–2012, Dr Kalantar was a full-time faculty at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, USA, including Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Epidemiology at University of California, Los Angeles, USA (UCLA). Since 2012, he has served as a tenured Professor and HEAD of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at University of California Irvine (UC Irvine) School of Medicine, in Orange and Irvine, California, USA, a Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Public Health at UC Irvine and attending nephrologist at UC Irvine as well as Long Beach Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital, USA. Dr Kalantar-Zadeh has been recognized by several prestigious top/best physician directories in the USA including SUPER DOCTORS™ and TOP PHYSICIANS™ Castle-Connelly. In 2014, he was ranked among the top 10 experts in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and Chronic Kidney Failure by Expertscape™. He serves as the immediate past President of the International Society of Renal Nutrition & Metabolism, President elect of the International Federation of Kidney Foundations and the International Steering Committee of the World Kidney Day. Prof. Kalantar-Zadeh has published more than 700 scientific articles, authored many chapters, and presented numerous grand rounds and other lectures in national and international conferences. He is an editor of nephrology and nutrition textbooks including the Nutritional Management of Renal Disease, third edition, 2013. Dr Kalantar-Zadeh is an Associate Editor or member of the editorial board of several top journals. Ekamol TantisattamoEkamol TantisattamoDr Ekamol Tantisattamo received his medical degree from the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. He completed his residency in internal medicine at University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Hawaii, fellowship in nephrology at Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia, USA and transplant nephrology fellowship at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Illinois, USA. He is currently a transplant nephrologist at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine in Orange, California, USA. He has served as a member of various medical and scientific societies including Kidney Pancreas Community of Practice (KPCOP) of the American Society of Transplantation (AST). His clinical research interests are in the areas of nephrology and transplantation including clinical hypertension, clinical pancreas-kidney transplantation, transplant renal artery stenosis, Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD), nutrition-related post-kidney transplantation and vascular calcification. Mark CooperMark CooperDr Mark Cooper is the inaugural Head of the Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He was previously the Chief Scientific Officer of the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, Australia as well as the Director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Centre (JDRF) for Diabetes Complications. He is a trained endocrinologist with an appointment at the co-located Alfred Hospital, Australia. Dr Cooper studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, Australia and then completed his physicians training at the Austin Hospital, Australia as well as his PhD under Dr George Jerums and Professor Austin Doyle in the University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, Austin Hospital. Dr Cooper has successfully competed for a large number of peer reviewed grants over the last 15 years from a range of organizations including not only JDRF but also the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia, National Institutes of Health, National Heart Foundation of Australia, Diabetes Australia and Kidney Health Australia. In 1999, Dr Cooper was awarded the Eric Susman prize from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians for his research in the field of renal and vascular complications of diabetes. In 2005, he was awarded the Australian Diabetes Society (ADS) Kellion Award for outstanding contribution to diabetes research in Australia. In 1999, he was awarded a Centre Grant from JDRF which was subsequently renewed in 2003. He is a previous recipient of a scholars award from the JDRF. This work was further supported by a five year Australia fellowship awarded by NHMRC in 2009. Dr Cooper is currently Co-Chair of the JDRF Medical Science Review Committee (Complications Panel). He is regularly invited to international meetings and has over 500 peer reviewed publications. Dr Cooper was the 2016 recipient of the Claude Bernard Award from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and in 2017 the Edwin Bierman Award from the American Diabetes Association. He received an Order of Australia (Officer) in 2017. Merlin ThomasMerlin ThomasMerlin Thomas is professor and program leader of the Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. He is a trained endocrinologist and nephrologist as well as molecular scientist, with particular expertise in diabetic nephropathy. His translational research spans basic biochemistry and biology to epidemiology and clinical trials. He is also a sought-after speaker, teacher and best-selling author. Dr Thomas trained in medicine at the University of Otago, New Zealand and qualified with distinction. He completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne, Australia, with Professor Mark Cooper, and was subsequently awarded the Victorian Premiers Award for Medical Research. After completing his PhD, he took up the Don and Lorraine Jacquot fellowship, to continue his research into advanced glycation end-products. Upon his return, he was awarded the inaugural Partnership Award: Diabetes Australia/National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Career Development Award and established his “Biochemistry of Diabetic Complications” laboratory at the Baker Heart Research Institute, Australia. In 2010, he became a NHMRC Senior Research Fellow. In 2016, he became Head of the Diabetes Program at the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute, Australia. In 2017, he moved his laboratory to the newly established Department of Diabetes at the Central Clinical School of Monash University. Dr Thomas has a productive track record of high-quality research, with over 300 career publications, many in the highest ranked journals, including Journal of Clinical Investigation, Circulation Research, Lancet, Diabetes, Hypertension, and Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. He has received many awards including the TJ Neale Award of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology, their highest scientific honor.