Maria E. de Ferris, MD, MPH, PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Dr. Ferris is a member of the American Kidney Fund (AKF) Board of Trustees.  She currently serves on the Medical Advisory Committee as well as the Clinical Scientist in Nephrology and Education Committees.

As one of the first American Kidney Fund Clinical Scientist in Nephrology in (1989 – 1991), Dr. Ferris carried out research to determine the role of in-utero exposure to alcohol and cocaine as risk factors for urinary tract anomalies. Because of that work, in 1993, Dr. Ferris founded the K.I.N.D.E.Rx. Clinic (Kids In Need of Drug Evaluation & Rx – Treatment) in Houston, Texas. She also served as Medical Director of the clinic for seven years.

Dr. Ferris has written extensively on the subject of nephrology, including the treatments, risks and outcomes related to young adults with End Stage Renal Disease. Her interests also include the transition of patients with chronic kidney disease from pediatric to adult medical care, epidemiology of kidney disease and obesity as it relates to kidney disease.