First Dialysis in Virginia

Since the inaugural dialysis in the Commonwealth of Virginia was performed at UVA on March 27, 1959, the University of Virginia has been recognized for its excellence in treating kidney diseases.

Today, patients can receive our full range of services and medical expertise in The UVA Kidney Center.

The Division of Nephrology at the University of Virginia was established in 1959 with Dr. Nuzhet Atuk as first Division Chief, succeeded by Dr. Frederick Westervelt. From 1988 to 2008, under the direction of Dr. W. Kline Bolton, Professor of Medicine, the Division of Nephrology underwent extensive change.

W. Kline Bolton Festschrift

On September 13, 2008, we celebrated Dr. Warren Kline Bolton's many accomplishments as a scientist, clinician and administrator. Under the direction of Dr. Bolton, what began as a fledgling operation of only four faculty members with modest national recognition, training, and research programs, has now developed into a program that balances the three missions of academic activity. As a result, the Division of Nephrology at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, has grown considerably and excels in research, clinical care and education. The eight leaders in academic nephrology who participated in the Bolton Festschrift are: (top row) John R. Sedor, Bruce C. Kone, Ronald J. Falk, Thomas M. Coffman, Roger C. Wiggins, (bottom row) Mark D. Okusa, William G. Couser, W. Kline Bolton, Edmund J.  Lewis, and David J. Salant.

Division Chief and Center Director

The Division now consists of a multi-talented cohesive group focused on providing state-of-the-art clinical care, basic and clinical research, education, and disease management for patients with diverse types of kidney disease. On July 1, 2008, Dr. Mark Okusa, John C. Buchanan Distinguished Professor of Medicine, became the fourth Division Chief of Nephrology. He is the principal investigator of several NIH grants including a T32 training grant "Kidney Disease and Inflammation". Dr. Okusa is widely recognized for his leadership in both translational and clinical research in acute kidney injury.  In 2012 he was elected Councilor, American Society of Nephrology for a 7-year term.

Expansion and Growth

The Division of Nephrology has grown from 2 fellows, 4 faculty, 80 dialysis patients and one RO1 in 1988 to a current combined enterprise of the Division of Nephrology and the Center for Immunity, Inflammation and Regenerative Medicine that includes:

• 8 clinical fellows
• 23 full-time faculty
• over 16 postdoctoral fellows/graduate students
• over 800 dialysis patients including 35 nocturnal dialysis patients
• NIH/foundation/pharmaceutical grants that have helped us to emerge as a nationally recognized program in all facets of academic nephrology, and basic and clinical immunology; Division of Nephrology faculty members are principal investigators funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Juvenile Diabetes Association, National Kidney Foundation, American Heart Association, and other foundations.

Thematic Research Center

Dr. Mark Okusa was appointed Director of the Center for Immunity, Inflammation and Regenerative Medicine (CIIR) in July 1, 2007.  The Center is a Department of Medicine initiative to merge thematic research in the area of immunology and regenerative medicine. The research laboratories of the Division and CIIR were previously housed in the Old Medical School, but much of the research is now in approximately 9,000 sq ft of newly renovated space in Jordan Hall, 4th floor. This space provides state-of-the-art facilities to support translational research in kidney disease and immunology.