News

Onsite delegates at the 5^th International Renal Pathology Conference in Zagreb, Croatia, as photographed by online participant Meilania Saraswati

The ISN supported 13 ISN members (nephrologists and pathologists) to attend significant renal pathology events this year, both onsite and online.

Five recipients (from Colombia, Congo, Turkey, Pakistan and Guatemala) received online registration to the WCN’23 “Renal Pathology Pre-congress Course.”

Two recipients (from Indonesia and Costa Rica) received support to travel to Croatia and attend the 5^th International Renal Pathology Conference in Zagreb in May. Five recipients (from Cuba, Guatemala, Indonesia, Nepal and Turkey) received online registration for the same event.

Ahmad Baseer Kaihan, from Afghanistan, received a bursary to travel to and attend the European Renal Pathology Course in the Netherlands at the beginning of June. Commenting on the experience, he said: “I do not know how to express my appreciation to the ISN for providing me with this golden opportunity to learn renal pathology from Europe’s most prestigious renal pathologists. I have learned kidney pathology from the basics to an advanced level in just five days, and I believe a program like this is not available in any other part of the world.”

Ahmad Baseer Kaihan (center) with Joris Roelofs (left), course organizer and teacher, and ISN Renal Pathology Working Group member, and Marian Clahsen-van Groningen (right), another teacher at the European Renal Pathology Course in the Netherlands held earlier this month

Meilania Saraswati (Indonesia), who attended the online 5^th International Renal Pathology Conference, commented that, for her, the standout feature of the event was a clinicopathological session: “It really taught us how to approach difficult cases in already difficult renal biopsy specimens. As few technologies are available in our country, it was great to see how these are done.”

She adds: “It’s difficult because I don’t have anybody in our country that I can ask about difficult cases in renal biopsy, especially with the lack of electron microscopy, so this course has really broadened my knowledge. Plus, I can always contact the expert in the course should I have any difficulties in diagnosing.”

Cindy Montero (third from left) and Monik Miranda (second from right) with faculty and delegates at the 5^th International Renal Pathology Conference in Zagreb, Croatia

Cindy Montero (Costa Rica) received support to travel to Zagreb to attend the 5th International Renal Pathology Conference. Dr. Montero has just finished her 12-month ISN Fellowship in Toronto General Hospital, Canada, under the supervision of Carmen Avila-Casado, ISN Renal Pathology Working Group chair.

She comments, “It was a wonderful experience, very fruitful. I went to a beautiful country with very kind people. I had the opportunity to meet many recognized people, authors of books and papers that I have been reading for many years. The chance to hear directly from them about updates on kidney diseases was unique. I am deeply grateful to ISN for giving me this bursary and supporting developing countries like mine.”

Monik Miranda (left) with immediate ISN Past President, Agnes Fogo (right), and another delegate at the 5^th International Renal Pathology Conference in Zagreb, Croatia

Monik Miranda (Indonesia), also supported to travel to Zagreb to attend the 5^th International Renal Pathology Conference, said that she plans to share what she learned on the course within her institution:

“I will present summaries on topics from the meeting and highlight how important it is to go international and think globally – to be part of something bigger. I will point out the recommendations I learned on the importance of electron microscopes to my hospital director and push for recognized antigens such as PLA2R to be available in our diagnostic panels.”

Explore the ISN Academy and find more educational content on renal pathology here.