ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

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1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

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About ASN

Paul M. Palevsky, MD, FASN

ASN Biography
Paul M. Palevsky, MD, FASN, is Professor of Medicine in Clinical and Translational Science in the Renal-Electrolyte Division at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Chief of the Kidney Medicine Section at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and Deputy National Program Director of the VHA Nephrology Program. Dr. Palevsky completed his undergraduate and medical education at Northwestern University in Chicago followed by internship and residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in nephrology at the Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania. Following fellowship training, Dr. Palevsky remained at the University of Pennsylvania for one year as a research associate prior to joining the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 1989, where he has remained since.

Dr. Palevsky's research has primarily focused on acute kidney injury and critical care nephrology. Among other clinical trials, he was the study chair of the VA/NIH Acute Renal Failure Trial Network (ATN) study, evaluating intensity of renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury and as co-chair of the PRESERVE trial, evaluating the comparative effectiveness of saline and bicarbonate and the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine in preventing kidney damage following angiography. He also served as a member of the steering committee for the STOP-GOUT study, comparing the effectiveness of allopurinol and febuxostat. He is currently a principal investigator for the COPE-AKI trial SRTR

Dr. Palevsky previously served as deputy editor of both CJASN and JASN and was President of the National Kidney Foundation from 2020-2022.

ASN Highlights - AKI Team

Dr. Palevsky is Professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational Science in the Renal-Electrolyte Division at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and is Chief of the Renal Section at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Dr. Palevsky completed his undergraduate and medical education at Northwestern University followed by internship and residency training in internal medicine and fellowship training in nephrology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Palevsky joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 1989, where he has remained since. Dr. Palevsky?s research has primarily focused on AKI and critical care nephrology. He was the study chair of the VA/NIH Acute Renal Failure Trial Network (ATN) study, evaluating intensity of renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients with AKI, and currently serves as co-chair of the PRESERVE trial, evaluating the comparative effectiveness of saline and bicarbonate and the efficacy of N-acetylcysteine in preventing kidney damage following angiography. Among other clinical trials, Dr. Palevsky was a member of the planning and executive committee of the VA NEPHRON-D study, which compared monotherapy with an angiotensin-receptor blocker to combination therapy with both an angiotensin blocker and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor in slowing progression of diabetic kidney disease; was a member of the steering committees for the EUPHRATES trial, which evaluated extracorporeal endotoxin adsorption in severe sepsis; and is a member of the executive committee of the Stop GOUT trial, comparing the effectiveness of allopurinol to febuxostat in chronic gout. Dr. Palevsky has published more than 200 original articles, reviews, and book chapters, is completing a six-year term as deputy editor of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, and is section editor for Renal Failure for UpToDate. He is a former member of the board of directors and past chair of the Quality, Safety, and Accountability committee of the Renal Physicians Association, is the vice-chair of the board of directors of Quality Insights Renal Network 4 (ESRD Network 4), and is a member of the National Kidney Foundation?s Scientific Advisory Board.

Current Position/Titles:

  • Professor of Medicine (with tenure), Renal-Electrolyte Division
  • Professor of Critical Care Medicine (secondary appointment)
  • Professor of Clinical and Translational Science (secondary appointment), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
  • Chief, Kidney Medicine Section, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
  • Deputy National Executive Program Director, VHA Kidney Medicine Program
  • Degrees/Training:

  • B.S., Honors Program in Medical Education, Northwestern University, Evanston and Chicago, IL, 1979
  • M.D., Northwestern University School of Medicine, 1981
  • Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1981-1984
  • Fellowship in Nephrology, University of Pennsylvania, 1984-1988
  • ASN Service:

    Deputy Editor, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2017-2020, Deputy Editor, Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2011-2016, Associate Editor, Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2005-2010, Associate Editor fpr Acute Kidney Injury and Critical Care Nephrology, NephSAP, 2001-2010, Course Director, Critical Care Nephrology Kidney Week pre-course, 1998-2002 and 2005-2014, Faculty, Kidney Week Critical Care Nephrology pre-course, 1998-2002 and 2005-2022, Faculty, ASN Board Review Course (Acute Kidney Injury), 2001, 2002, 2004-2017, Faculty, ASN Highlights (Acute Kidney Injury), 2012-2017, Member, Government Relations Committee, 1999-2002, Co-Chair, Policy and Public Affairs Committee, 2003-2005, Member, Acute Kidney Injury Advisory Group, 2004-2010, Member, Nephrologists Transforming Dialysis Safety, 2017-present, Member, Current & Emerging Threats (C-ET) Steering Committee, 2023-present, Member, Kidney Health Guidance Workgroup on Outpatient Dialysis for AKI, 2025

    Leadership positions:

  • Deputy National Program Executive Director, Veterans Health Administration Kidney Medicine Program, 2021-present
  • President, National Kidney Foundation, 2020-2022
  • Member, National Board, National Kidney Foundation, 2019-present
  • Chair, FDA Gastroenterology and Urology Devices Panel, 2009-2012
  • Member, Board of Directors, Renal Physicians Association, 2003-2009
  • Member, Board of Directors, Forum of ESRD Networks, 2000-2006
  • Chair, Medical Review Board, ESRD Network 4, 1999-2007, 2019-present
  • Vice-President, The Renal Network, 2010-2013
  • President, ESRD Network 4, 2008-2010
  • Honors:

  • Leslie B. Arey Award, Northwestern University, 1978
  • Frederick K. Rawson Award, Northwestern University, 1979
  • George A. Dennis Award, Northwestern University, 1980
  • Alpha Omega Alpha, 1980
  • Hayes Davis Service Award, The Renal Network, 2013
  • J. Michael Lazarus Award, National Kidney Foundation, 2017
  • International Vicenza Award, 2018
  • Association of American Physicians, 2024
  • Board Certification:

  • American Board of Internal Medicine (1984), participating in MOC
  • American Board of Internal Medicine, Nephrology (1986), participating in MOC
  • Research Interests:

    I am a clinical researcher who has focused primarily on the management of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. For the past three decades, I have had the privilege of helping lead multiple clinical trials including as study chair of the VA/NIH Acute renal failure Trial Network (ATN) study, as co-chair of the PRESERVE study and as a member of the steering committees of the VA NEPHRON-D study, the EUPHRATES trial, the STARRT-AKI trial, and the STOP-Gout trial. I have been a KPMP investigator and am currently a co-principal investigator for the coordinating center of the ongoing COPE-AKI trial.

    Personal Statement:

    Nephrology is at an exciting juncture. We have seen an explosion of effective therapies to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease, new disease modifying therapies targeting glomerular diseases, and progress in xenotransplantation. Yet at the same time we are confronting serious challenges, particularly to research funding, to the nephrology workforce, and to equity of access to care. I believe that my prior leadership experience across multiple nephrology organizations as well as experience working with funding and regulatory agencies has prepared me to lead ASN and our specialty forward.