Erica Bjornstad
USA
Clinical Research Program Rising Star Award
The ISN Clinical Research Program Rising Star Award recognizes the efforts of those doing research in low and lower-middle income countries and increasing research capacity through community engagement. The inaugural award is being presented at WCN’25.
Dr. Erica Bjornstad is an associate professor of Pediatric Nephrology & Hypertension at University of Tennessee Health Science Center and LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis Tennessee, USA. She is a pediatric nephrologist with over 20 years of global health and research experience. She trained in pediatric nephrology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in North Carolina, where she also obtained her Ph.D. in epidemiology.
Dr. Bjornstad’s current research and programmatic interests are improving the care of children and adults with kidney disease in low-resourced areas, both globally and locally. Her interests center on preventative nephrology through improved recognition and detection of kidney disease and hypertension, including the use of novel dipsticks for acute kidney injury, point-of-care ultrasound, and robust epidemiological methods. In addition, her work focuses on enhanced clinical capacity building for all nephrologists and general practitioners who care for kidney patients as well as active engagement and education of clinicians to conduct their own research locally through epidemiology workshops. Her work is currently focused in Zambia, Malawi, and Memphis, Tennessee.
Dr. Bjornstad comments, “I am very honored to receive this award, and could not have done so without the help and support of staff in Malawi.”
The Clinical Research Program Rising Star Award will be presented during the WCN Spotlight Session, ‘ISN Programs Awards,’ on February 8, 2025, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. India Standard Time on Spotlight Stage 1 (Exhibition).