News

ISN across continents: Advancing kidney care through global engagement 

From Africa to East Asia, ISN leaders are engaging with regional kidney care communities this March, sharing expertise, training opportunities, and strengthening connections that help advance equitable kidney care worldwide.  Ethiopian Kidney Association’s 2nd Annual Nephrology Conference  March 7, 2026 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia  Robert Walker, chair of the ISN Core Programs Committee, will present virtually on ISN Grants, outlining pathways for ISN members to access support and build local capacity.  Japan Kidney Masterclass  March 7, 2026 Tokyo, Japan  Hosted by the Japanese Society of Nephrology, the masterclass will...

Turn your research idea into impact: Apply by March 1 to the ISN Clinical Research Program 

Do you have a clinical research question on how to improve kidney care in your region? The ISN Clinical Research Program (CRP) helps clinicians turn local priorities into publishable evidence, providing funding and support to launch meaningful studies.  Applicants must submit a short abstract to the relevant ISN Regional Coordinator by March 1.   Find out more and apply  Rumbidzai Dahwa received a CRP grant in 2017 to study the prevalence...

Experience WCN’26 wherever you are: Join virtually 

 Virtual registration brings the World Congress of Nephrology 2026 straight to you, no matter where you are.   As a virtual delegate, you get access to live streaming of all 13 sessions in the Main Hall (Plenary Hall) from March 28–31, with live transcriptions in Japanese and English and more than 50 other languages. You will also have access to over 100 hours of...

Sharing bedside lessons: Writing a case report for Kidney International Case Reports™ 

Every nephrologist has encountered a case that stayed with them, one that challenged assumptions, raised new questions, or changed how they approach care. Turning that experience into a case report is not about including every detail, but about sharing the clinical lesson that others can apply.  Submit your case report to KICR  Kidney International Case Reports™...

Training that transforms kidney care: Welcoming new ISN Fellows 

For many nephrologists, an ISN Fellowship is more than advanced training; it is a turning point in what becomes possible for patients and kidney care teams back home.  “The ISN Fellowship program represented a pivotal moment in my professional journey,” reflects Christina Amira (Nigeria), ISN Fellow from 2003–2004. “Upon returning to my home country, I successfully established a...

World Kidney Day 2026: Caring for people, protecting the planet — get involved! 

How will you support kidney health and sustainability this World Kidney Day?  With kidney disease affecting millions worldwide and environmental factors such as heat, pollution, and access to clean water increasingly shaping risk, this year’s theme, “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet,” calls for prevention, early detection, and care models that are people-centered and planet-conscious.  Read...

ISN Journal summaries: effect of pravastatin on ADPKD and 10 years of Kidney International Reports®   

Kidney International®   A randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of pravastatin on kidney disease outcomes in adult patients with early-stage autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease  This randomized, double-blind trial evaluated whether pravastatin could slow disease progression in adults with early autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and preserved kidney function.   Researchers followed 150 participants receiving pravastatin or a placebo...

ISN Advocacy Newsletter – Bridging the Gaps – February 2026

Ready for global advocacy events? GCCH Webinar, WKD, WHA79 & more Welcome to the first 2026 edition of Bridging the Gaps. We begin the year with real momentum. Kidney health is now firmly embedded in global policy, following the adoption of the WHO kidney health resolution and the 2025 UN political declaration on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). These...

10 years of open access and evolving evidence at Kidney International Reports® 

Who can access the evidence that informs practice, and how quickly does that evidence reach the bedside? As Kidney International Reports® (KIR) celebrates its 10th anniversary throughout 2026, these two questions are as pertinent as ever for clinicians and researchers working in kidney care.   Reflections from KIR’s Editor-in-Chief Jai Radhakrishnan and Deputy Editor Sumit Mohan highlight how the journal’s editorial decisions, including a commitment to open access and a focus on practice-relevant research, have supported wider access...

Save the date for the Professor Donal O’Donoghue Global Kidney Policy Forum during WCN’26: Shaping the future of kidney health policy in North and East Asia  

What does it take to move from policy commitments to real improvements in kidney care, and how can those lessons be applied across regions?  On March 28, 2026*, the Professor Donal O'Donoghue Global Kidney Policy Forum (PDOGKPF) will bring together policymakers, clinical leaders, and advocates to explore practical ways to strengthen kidney care systems in the ISN North and East Asia region, focusing on approaches that translate into measurable progress for patients.  Held at the WCN'26 in...

Taking the unknown out of CKDu: Read the new report from ISN i3C in Kidney International® 

After two decades of research, the causes of chronic kidney disease of undetermined etiology (CKDu) remain elusive. A new report from the ISN International Consortium of CKDu Collaborators (ISN i3C), published in Kidney International® (KI), suggests the challenge lies not only in what is unknown but also in how CKDu has been studied to date.  Read the full report in KI  The authors point to inconsistent terminology,...

Latest ISN International Expert Forum: Advancing B cell science to inform care in glomerular disease 

Speakers and moderators at the ISN Expert Forum on B cell targeting in glomerular disease  What do clinicians and researchers need to know about B cell biology and targeting as options for glomerular disease continue to evolve? From January 29-31, 111 experts from 27 countries gathered in Seville, Spain, for the ISN Expert Forum on B Cell Targeting in Glomerular Disease: A New...

Empowering non-physician healthcare professionals in early kidney disease detection: New ISN Academy curriculum 

 Early detection of kidney disease is critical to preventing complications and improving outcomes. Yet, in many settings, non-physician healthcare professionals are the first and sometimes only point of contact for at-risk populations.  A new ISN Academy curriculum, Empowering Non-Physician Healthcare Workers: Early Kidney Disease Detection and Care, aims to strengthen frontline kidney care by equipping non-physician healthcare professionals with practical, accessible...

Meeting the global demand for interventional nephrology: Announcing 10 new ISN Interventional Nephrology Training Centers 

ISN Interventional Nephrology Training Centers (INTCs) are a growing network of institutions providing essential hands-on training in procedures such as central venous and peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion, helping nephrologists to provide better care for dialysis patients in low- and middle-income countries.  The ISN is pleased to announce the approval of 10 new INTCs:  Greece: Attikon University Hospital of Athens    Mexico: Hospital Civil De Guadalajara Fray Antonio Alcalde   Malaysia: Hospital Kuala Lumpur   Saudi Arabia: King...

ISN Journal summaries on pediatric CKD outcomes and homelessness as a social determinant of kidney health 

Kidney International®   Establishing a core outcome measure for life participation in children with chronic kidney disease: A Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology—children and adolescents with chronic kidney disease (SONG-Kids) consensus workshop report  Life participation is a priority for children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet it is rarely measured consistently in pediatric CKD trials.  Through international consensus workshops involving patients,...

From funding to frontline impact — Join ISN Grant sessions at WCN’26 

In 2025, ISN Grants supported educational and capacity-building activities worldwide in response to local needs:  The Educational Ambassadors Program supported 5 ambassadors for targeted training visits in Peru, Rwanda, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Tajikistan   23 ISN Fellowships, 14 Interventional Nephrology Scholarships, and 4 Clinical Research Grants were awarded  Emerging Leaders Program cohort 3 worked on exciting projects spotlighting the role of non-physician health workers in kidney care; Members of cohort 4 have now been selected    7 Sister Renal and Transplant Centers pairs graduated from the program  The Continuing Medical...

Five compelling reasons to submit to Kidney International Case Reports™  

Case reports are often where progress begins. A single patient, an unexpected presentation, a practical clinical lesson that sharpens judgment and sparks discussion, ultimately leading to improved understanding and care.   With the recent launch of the ISN’s new fully open-access journal, Kidney International Case Reports™ (KICR)*, there has never been a better time to share bedside observations with the global kidney care community.  Submit a...

From UN political declaration to patient outcomes: Join global leaders for a webinar on February 24 

How can the UN political declaration commitments translate into real change for people living with circulatory conditions?   The 2025 United Nations political declaration on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) sets out renewed global commitments to tackle premature deaths from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and other NCDs.   Kidney disease is both a consequence and a driver of circulatory...

ISN and IDF formalize global collaboration to advance diabetes and kidney health 

The ISN and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, formalizing a long-term collaboration to strengthen global action on diabetes-related kidney disease.  Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease, and together these conditions affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Recognizing their shared risk factors and growing global burden, the ISN and the IDF...

ISN Journal summaries on sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and CKD in indigenous populations in Kerala 

Kidney International®   Strategies for the development of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors for kidney protection in pediatric chronic kidney disease: proceedings of a workshop meeting in July 2023 There are currently no approved therapies to slow chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression across the diverse causes of pediatric CKD, despite evidence that sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) slow kidney disease...