TRANSPLANT NEPHROLOGY

Overview

The Kidney and Kidney-Pancreas Transplant Programs at Emory University are nationally recognized programs that deal with all aspects of kidney and pancreas transplantation. They offer a multidisciplinary approach that integrates the expertise of transplant surgeons, transplant nephrologists, fellows, nephropathologists, pharmacists and other specialists with an interest in solid organ transplantation. Approximately 160 kidney transplants (both living and deceased donor) are performed at Emory on a yearly basis, and more than 2,500 kidney transplant recipients are followed in the outpatient kidney transplant clinic. There are four transplant nephrologists (Drs. Sharon Graves, Antonio Guasch, Kenneth Kokko and Sudha Tata) who are actively involved in the program. Ongoing research activities are new immunosuppressive agents in kidney transplantation, the role of antibodies in kidney rejection, effects of immunosuppression on the response to vaccines, markers of glomerular dysfunction and allograft failure, mechanisms of chronic rejection, and bone disease after kidney transplantation. 

Transplant Nephrology Fellowship

After completing 2 years of training in general nephrology, fellows are offered an additional year of training in transplantation nephrology. During this year, the fellow becomes a member of the kidney and kidney-pancreas transplant team. A minimum of 6 months is spent on the inpatient service, which includes the follow up of newly transplanted patients after discharge from the hospital. An additional month is spent in the HLA lab, and one month is spent in the nephropathology lab. The other 4 months are allocated to clinical research or additional time in the inpatient or outpatient services. Additional research time could be made available to interested individuals. The fellow spends a minimum of 9 months (including the 6 months of inpatient service) following transplant patients in the outpatient clinic. All aspects of kidney transplantation are covered during the fellowship, including organ procurement and allocation, HLA techniques, immunosuppressive medications, management of the renal transplant recipient and their complications, ultrasound evaluation of the kidney allograft and kidney biopsy and interpretation.

Individuals with an interest in the transplant nephrology fellowship should send their inquiries and CV to:

Antonio Guasch MD
Medical Director, Renal Transplantation
Renal Division, Rm 338 Woodruff Memorial Bldg
1639 Pierce Drive
Atlanta, GA 30322
Phone: (404)-727-3959