Prof. Robert Schrier '57 Honored by International Society of Nephrology

July 27, 2010

July 27, 2010, Greencastle, Ind. — Robert W. Schrier, M.D., professor at the University of Colorado, School of Medicine and 1957 graduate of DePauw University, was the honoree at the 50th anniversary of the International Society of Nephrology.  The anniversary was celebrated last month in Geneva, Switzerland.

Dr. Schrier, a previous president of the Society, was instrumental in launching the organization's fellowship program which has trained over 500 physicians from the developing world in kidney disease and hypertension. Schrier also established a global fund for support of activities in developing countries, and as the Society's president initiated the Sister Renal Center (SRC) program which brought over 100 kidney centers in the developing world together with kidney centers in the developed world for collaborative educational, clinical, and research activities.

Upon accepting the award, Schrier said, "We live in an unfair world with many inequalities without which we would have a more peaceful world. Thus, each individual, whenever the opportunity arises, has the responsibility to try to address any injustice in the less fortunate part of the world."

He added, "The essence of the SRC Program is to develop an emerging center through the goodwill and resources of a supporting center. This structure sets out to reinforce and encourage support that is provided by the partnering sister center. By building a strong partnership, the SRC Pair will evolve into a long-lasting, stable and fruitful collaboration between two centers of excellence. They can provide state-of-the-art clinical practice and become hubs for sharing education, training and implementing disease-preventive strategies within their geographical area."

Dr. Schrier was chairman of the department of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine for 26 years and head of the division of renal diseases and hypertension for 20 years. In 1989 he was elected a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He has also been president of the Association of American Physicians, the American Society of Nephrology, and the National Kidney Foundation. Dr. Schrier is a Master of the American College of Physicians and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. He has authored over 900 scientific papers and edited 50 books including editions in renal medicine, geriatrics, drug usage, and kidney disease. His research contributions center on the pathogenesis of acute renal failure, genetic renal disorders, mechanisms of renal cell injury, diabetic nephropathy, and renal and hormonal control of body fluid volume in cirrhosis, cardiac failure, nephrotic syndrome, and pregnancy.

Schrier continues to lecture nationally and internationally, as well as publishing in peer reviewed journals. He recently completed a five year appointment as editor-in-chief of Nature Reviews Nephrology and is currently principal investigator on two research grants from the National Institutes of Health focused on prevention of the most common hereditary kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease.

Learn more in this previous story.

 

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