Clinical Scientist in Nephrology program

Learn more about the Clinical Scientist in Nephrology (CSN) Program

For over 30 years, the American Kidney Fund Clinical Scientist in Nephrology (CSN) fellowship program has funded researchers whose work is designed to improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for patients living with chronic kidney disease and has promoted clinical research in nephrology. Our CSN fellows conduct prevention and outcomes research while receiving advanced training in areas related to the AKF vision.

The Clinical Scientist in Nephrology program has trained some of nephrology's brightest scholars who have gone on to become leaders in the field and mentors to new generations of scientists studying kidney disease. Many former CSN fellows have conducted groundbreaking research that advances knowledge and treatment of kidney disease.

A Clinical Scientist in Nephrology fellowship may be granted yearly, with a maximum duration of two years for each fellowship. The maximum level of funding of $90,000 per year shall be used principally to support the candidate and his or her career development. This sum is expected to cover the individual fellow's salary (not to exceed $65,000) as well as training-related expenses.

Meet our 2024 CSN Fellows

Dr. Kavita Mistry

Dr. Kavita Mistry is a nephrology fellow at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and will be using cutting-edge single cell sequencing technologies to gain insights into the initial events that lead to kidney inflammation in acute interstitial nephritis (ICI-AIN).

Dr. Mistry's project reflects her interest in both nephrology and immunology, particularly in cancer patients. Although immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment by unleashing the power of the immune system to fight numerous cancers, its use is limited by the side effect of harmful inflammation in healthy tissues and organs. When this inflammation targets the kidneys, it causes ICI-AIN. Dr. Mistry hopes to gain insight into the events that cause this inflammation. The ultimate goal of her work is to inform the development of non-invasive tests for ICI-AIN that can be used in the diagnosis of patients in the clinic, and to facilitate improved treatments for ICI-AIN that have fewer side effects on patients as they undergo cancer treatment.

"I am delighted to join the AKF community, and to continue in the strong tradition of research supported by the AKF Clinical Scientist in Nephrology program," said Dr. Mistry. "Our work studying immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated kidney injury begins and ends with the patient, which aligns seamlessly with AKF's mission to improve the care of patients with kidney disease. We start at the bedside, where we provide clinical care to patients suffering from immunotherapy-related kidney toxicity. We then bring blood, urine and kidney tissue samples to the lab bench, where we harness the power of single cell sequencing to understand the immunologic pathways that drive harmful kidney inflammation. Ultimately, we hope to use our discoveries to directly impact the way that we diagnose and treat patients with kidney injury. What excites me the most is the potential for our study to yield insights into the mechanisms of more common kidney diseases, including other types of interstitial nephritis and kidney injury that affect even greater numbers of patients."

Dr. Mistry earned her Bachelor of Arts and MD/PhD degrees from Yale University. She completed her residency at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and is currently a nephrology fellow at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, where she provides care for patients with kidney disease and cancer.

Dr. Marcelle Tuttle

Dr. Marcelle Tuttle is a first-year fellow in the Tufts Medical Center Division of Nephrology and will be working on research that focuses on the development of pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). 

Dr. Tuttle's project will examine the development of early pulmonary hypertension in patients with CKD. Pulmonary hypertension is a rare disorder, affecting approximately 1% of the global population. However, it is common in patients with CKD, with approximately 21% of CKD patients having pulmonary hypertension. Also, for patients with CKD, having pulmonary hypertension is associated with double the risk of death from any cause. Using data from the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC), Dr. Tuttle's project has two objectives: (1) to identify risk factors for progression of pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease and (2) to examine whether progression of pulmonary hypertension is associated with a composite of dialysis, kidney transplantation or diminished kidney function or a cardiovascular composite of heart failure, heart attack and death due to cardiovascular causes.

"Pulmonary hypertension is a common and underrecognized issue for patients with chronic kidney disease," said Dr. Tuttle. "Through this study, I plan to identify new risk factors for pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease. I am extraordinarily grateful to the AKF for this opportunity and hope that this study will lead to earlier identification of pulmonary hypertension in CKD patients and potentially new treatments targeted towards the CKD population."

Dr. Tuttle is a first-year fellow in the Tufts Medical Center Division of Nephrology and a master's student in Clinical and Translational Science at the Tufts University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Prior to fellowship, she received her MD from the Tufts University School of Medicine and completed residency at the Tufts Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency. Her current research focuses on the development of pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic kidney disease. 

Meet our 2023 CSN Fellows

Dr. Alexandra Bicki

Dr. Alexandra Bicki is a pediatric nephrology fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. She will be working on identifying facilitators and barriers to home dialysis and living kidney donor transplantation among adolescents and young adults. Dr. Bicki will study the factors that lead to high morbidity and mortality rates among adolescents and young adults with kidney failure compared to other age groups receiving dialysis. She will interview patients, caregivers and providers and perform statistical analyses with data from the U.S. Renal Data System to understand whether systems-level factors of dialysis facilities, such as social worker support, are associated with access to kidney transplantation. The results from these analyses will be crucial for the development of an intervention to address barriers and increase uptake of home dialysis and living donor transplantation among adolescents and young adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). 

"Adolescence and young adulthood are such crucial times in development, and even more so for those living with a chronic disease like CKD. Through this study, I hope to expand our knowledge of the factors that may influence long-term transplant outcomes so that we may help design successful interventions to facilitate these patients' success later in life. I'm grateful to AKF for the opportunity to further my research on this important issue and I hope my work will help reduce any barriers that young people may face in their access to home dialysis, living donor transplantation and other kidney care." 

Dr. Bicki earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from the University of Miami and her medical degree and master's in public health from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She completed her residency and chief residency in pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and is currently a pediatric nephrology fellow at the University of California, San Francisco. 

Dr.  Nivetha Subramanian

Dr. Nivetha Subramanian is a nephrology fellow at Stanford Medicine. She will be working on a project related to disparities in COVID-19 and vaccine booster uptake in dialysis. Dr. Subramanian will study the excess rate of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and death among patients receiving dialysis since 2020, relative to the general population, and determine rates and predictors of booster uptake among patients receiving dialysis. Her work aims to inform policy that prioritizes and systematizes access to testing, surveillance and treatment for patients receiving dialysis in the ongoing COVID-19 and future pandemics. Dr. Subramanian's work on the COVID-19 vaccine booster uptake will apply to other vaccinations and supply the basis for community-engaged programming to improve uptake for vaccines and other infection-prevention interventions among patients with end-stage kidney disease.

"This work will provide timely insight into future pandemics, allowing policy makers, dialysis facilities and other stakeholders to identify vulnerable groups even among patients receiving dialysis and to hopefully reduce barriers to treatment for all patients on dialysis. I'm honored to be selected by AKF for this fellowship and hope my work will supply the basis for community-engaged programming to improve uptake for vaccines and other infection-prevention interventions among patients with end-stage kidney disease."

Dr. Subramanian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology, Health and Society from Cornell University and her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Stanford Medicine and is currently in Stanford's nephrology fellowship program.