Michael F. Flessner, MD, PhD
Dr. Flessner is the Director, Inflammatory Renal Disease Program at the Division of Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases. He overseas clinical research programs in Polycystic Kidney Disease, Transplantation, Diabetic Nephropathy, Glomerular Diseases, and Chronic Kidney Disease. This includes early development and Phase III trials of drugs within these disease entities. Besides his professional training in nephrology and clinical trials, he has a doctorate in Chemical Engineering and has specific interest in application of quantitative techniques to biological phenomena.
Dr. Flessner was previously Director of Nephrology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and a researcher at the Jackson Heart Study. During his 25 years in Academia, he has lectured on the use of drugs in patients with altered physiologic or metabolic states. His basic research was funded by AHA and NIH and included trans-peritoneal transport of water and solutes in support of dialysis and intraperitoneal drug therapy. In addition, he has examined foreign body reactions to polymers in the peritoneal cavity and demonstrated how "sterile inflammation" affects peritoneal anatomy and transport characteristics. He has an extensive background in mathematical modeling of transport within tissue and is author of over 140 publications and has given more than 150 invited talks around the world.
Dr. Flessner will serve as the liaison for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).