Global Outreach Postings
Welcome to the ISN Blog
This space is dedicated to the activities of ISN Leaders and Committee Members. Follow them and find out how they are supporting local medical communities in developing countries. From sharing their knowledge, providing guidance to training other nephrologists, you can find out how they are making a difference and helping advance kidney care and research worldwide.
The Canadian Society of Nephrology met in St John’s Newfoundland, for our first meeting after the WCN 2011 (April 25 to 28, 2012). The membership was thankful to the ISN for the opportunity to host the WCN in Vancouver as well as showcase Canadian hospitality and science.
In fact, an ISN overview was featured as an opening talk on the second day of the meeting, ensuring that the membership was up to date regarding activities and opportunities. At the meeting we showcased young investigators, the KRESCENT program (an integrated translational program training people from diverse backgrounds), and the KDIGO guidelines amongst other topics.
Marcello Tonelli completed his tenure as president, and the new president, John Gill, has now taken the reins. We, as the Canadian Society of Nephrology, are pleased to continue our work with ISN both officially, and in fulfilling our mandate to educate young nephrologists within and outside of Canada.
I am just on my way home from Colombia where SLANH (Sociedad Latinoamericana de Nefrología e Hipertensión) held its biennial Congress – just over a thousand nephrologists from all over Latin America were registered. Even the locals thought it was hot, 35 degrees and humid. How did we ever function without air conditioning?
SLANH has been growing rapidly in the last few years and is a strong ally of ISN. So I had a very warm welcome, and had the chance to talk for about 10 minutes during the Opening Ceremony about ISN. We brought an ISN booth, and Sarah Mulholland of the ISN staff worked flat out at the booth for 3 days, succeeding in signing up 23 new members for ISN.
And we had a very successful Latin America GO Regional Worksop which I led with Ricardo Correa-Rotter (outgoing President of SLANH and Chair of the ISN GO Latin America Regional Committee). By an unhappy coincidence the Workshop was scheduled at exactly the same time as a big soccer match – Real Madrid versus Barcelona. If you are a Spanish speaking football fan, it does not get much bigger than that!
But despite the match, more than 40 people were at the workshop to hear several short presentations about the success of GO programs so far in Latin America followed by a lively discussion about some of the challenges to be overcome to strengthen further the impact of these programs. SLANH already co-sponsors an ISN Fellowship and is committed to working with ISN to improve things further.
Above: The ISN President looks suitably serious during the Colombian national anthem at the SLANH 2013 Opening Ceremony
Left: John Feehally addresses 500 nephrologists at the Opening Ceremony.
World Bank elects health expert as new president
Written by Luca SegantiniTHE WORLD BANK on Tuesday selected as its next president Dr. Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-American global health expert and president of Dartmouth College.
Dr. Kim will assume his new post on July 1, 2012 and will be leading World Bank on a five-year term.
The selection of World Bank's next president has been challenged of late by some developing countries arguing that non-American candidates should also be considered for the job.
Aside from Dr. Kim, who was backed by the U.S. gov't, two other nominees sought the job: Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Jose Antonio Ocampo, a former Colombian finance minister.
From an ISN perspective, it is very good news to have an health expert head up the World Bank, as hopefully this will lead to an increased focus on general health issues, including kidney disease.
Society Coordinator needed in ISN Brussels office
Written by Luca SegantiniThe International Society of Nephrology (ISN) is looking for a committed and enthusiastic individual to join their team at international headquarters in Brussels, Belgium as a Society Coordinator.
We are offering a part-time job (50%) and an employee contract. The job holder will be supporting both the ISN and the ISPD (International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis) activities.
ISPD
(25% of a Full-Time Equivalent, corresponding to 5.5 days/month)
The purpose of this role is to support ISPD Council and Committees in delivering the societies’ objectives. Under the general heading of ‘The Membership Engagement Project’ the job will have three components:
1) Development of Communications
2) Support and management of ISPD projects
3) Management of joint activities with ISN
Main duties and responsibilities:
1. To support the ISPD executive in managing the week by week running of ISPD through regular e-mail contact; direct line of responsibility is to the ISPD executive
2. To support Council/Committee chairs by attending meetings, producing minutes and reports as required,
3. Undertake week by week management of material on the website and assist in the development of material (e.g. newsletters, social media) that advertises and informs members, sponsors, partners and the global community of ISPDs activities.
4. Support the project work of the society by developing and managing timelines for the societies activities and
5. Assist the society in developing its partnerships with existing and new/potential sponsors by providing point of contact, information and managing financial agreements
6. Manage in collaboration with ISN equivalent the joint activities of the two societies
This is envisaged as a 0.25 FTE post, with 0.15 to support membership engagement project, 0.05 to support the ISPD fellowship program and 0.05 to support the ISPD educational program.
For more information on ISPD: www.ispd.org
=====
ISN
(25% of a Full-Time Equivalent, corresponding to 5.5 days/month)
The job holder will also assist ISN staff in a variety of tasks, including administrative support to the Global Outreach Programs, the World Kidney Day campaign and other general society management activities.
For more information on the ISN: www.theisn.org
=====
What we offer:
- The post holder will be hosted at the ISN offices in central Brussels. Work-from-home and flexitime are possible and encouraged.
- A competitive salary, with benefits including a pension scheme, insurance and lunch vouchers.
- The chance to join a young and dynamic team, in an exciting and motivating environment.
=====
Desired skills:
- at least 5 years experience in administrative and support roles, ideally in non-profit organizations
- excellent command of the English language, multilingual abilities are a definite asset
- ability to handle diverse tasks, interest in the non-profit world and a multicultural attitude
- high proficiency with standard office technology and Internet tools (including social networks)
- an informal, open and collaborative mentality (no "corporate" attitude).
- PLEASE NOTE: no relocation assistance is provided, and strong preference will be given to candidates already residing in Brussels.
=====
How to apply:
Please send an email to Luca Segantini, Executive Director, ISN at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ONLY if your professional experience and skills match the above requirements.
We will endeavor to respond to every applicant but cannot promise prompt feedback. The selection will take place during April/May 2012, and final candidates will be invited to a final interview in Paris on 24 May.
The selected candidate is expected to be available to start on 1 September 2012.
As part of its evolving online education strategy and to support its members in the developing world, ISN has developed a new feature on its website called “Global Outreach Postings”. ISN members from emerging countries are invited to submit manuscripts for review and, if suitable, publication on ISN’s website.Manuscripts should be consistent with ISN’s mission to advance nephrology in developing and developed countries, and should be of interest to readers from around the world.
Certain requirements need to be met for the publications to be considered for review – these are listed on the ISN website, along with details of the easy cost-free submission process. Manuscripts that meet the requirements will be assigned for review to a small group of experts from ISN. The review committee is chaired by Saraladevi Naicker.
ISN looks forward to receiving some high quality, interesting manuscripts from its members in emerging countries!
World Kidney Day 2012 - message from John Feehally
Written by John FeehallyI’m on the way home from the Jordan Society of Nephrology annual scientific meeting where I was invited as an ISN-sponsored speaker by Norbert Lameire (from Belgium, and of course chair of the ISN GO CME program) and Patrick Niaudet (pediatric nephrologist in Paris).
The two main themes of the meeting were transplantation (ideal as World Kidney Day was on the second day of the meeting) and GN. Jordan’s main World Kidney Day event was actually on Sunday March 11th – a meeting being hosted by their Health Minister.
As always, I had a very warm welcome from Jordanian colleagues, and it was a very good scientific meeting with a mix of local and international speakers. There was particularly lively case discussion, and I was especially pleased there were contributions from some excellent renal pathologists. We know that in so many parts of the world there is a critical shortage of renal pathologists, so this was good to see.
I was also great that there was good, broad-based attendance. Most of Jordan’s 75 nephrologists were there, along with all their fellows, and also some residents being given early exposure to nephrology which hopefully will influence their career choice. Also great that the Jordanians are able to support colleagues from nearby countries who face challenging times; most notably I was glad to meet nephrologists there from Iraq, Palestine and Sudan.
And managed to fit in some Saturday relaxation before flying home - sleeping in a Bedouin tent in the middle of the Jordanian desert – remarkable – absolute silence, and no internet!
ISN Fellowship program helps launch young nephrologist's career in Palestine
Written by William CouserAs ISN leaders, we often talk of the many opportunities offered by the five ISN GO programs and the importance of fully integrating these programs with the activities of our eight Regional Committees to advance the development of nephrology worldwide. I recently had a unique opportunity to see this vision play out to the benefit of a young potential nephrologist in the Middle East.
In 2009, the ISN GO CME program organized the first ever ISN event on the West Bank and held a two day nephrology CME in Ramallah. The meeting was organized jointly by Norbert Lameire, Head of the ISN GO CME program and Riyad Said from Amman, Jordan, the chairman of the ISN GO Middle East committee. It was very successful in attracting participants and even catalyzing the formation of a new society, the Palestinian Society of Nephrology.
As we always do, ISN speakers reviewed the availablility of our GO programs and encouraged the Palestinian nephrologists present to make better use of these programs to advance nephrology in their region where few nephrologists are available and renal care is therefore challenged. The first tangible evidence of an extended benefit from the CME meeting in Ramallah came a year later when a Renal Sister Center application was funded cementing a relationship between Palestine and Amman.
To my delight, last month I received a letter from Dr Mohammad Bourini, a 4th year internal medicine resident at al-Maqassed Hospital in Jerusalem, reminding me of the Ramallah CME meeting he had attended and the efforts we made to encourage young palestinian physicians in attendance to become nephrologists. He told me that based on the Ramallah meeting he had decided to pursue a career in nephrology and sought my advice on possible training sites as well as how to seek the fellowship support from ISN we had spoken about. I encouraged Dr Bourini to consider pursuing the new ISN Fellowship program initiative supporting “south-south” training within his own region. Within 3 days, Dr Bourini was contacted by Dr Said in Amman and offered a position in a nephrology training program and support to apply for an ISN fellowship award to support it. A career is launched!
To me this anecdote illustrates the ISN and the GO programs at their very best. The first ever CME in the West Bank not only provided education but led first to a new Sister Renal Center relationship linking Ramallah with an established center in Jordan and then to use of the fellowship program to train a promising young nephrologist to practice in Palestine.
Kidney transplantation - offering hope to all
Written by Adeera Levin
March 8, 2012 is Wolrld Kidney Day. This year we are focusing on the importance of kidney transplantation and donation, spreading the word on the effectiveness of this form of treatment. The last 50 years have seen the development of new medications and approaches - improving the lives of kidney transplant recipients. The importance of including transplantation as a treatment option for all cannot be overstated. Nonetheless, the legacy of transplantation is unfortunately threatened by organ trafficking and transplant tourism.
KDIGO first clinical practice conference Shanghai
Written by John Feehally
On my way back from Shanghai where ISN co-sponsored KDIGO’s first clinical practice conference.
It was the end of the Chinese New Year Festival – this is the year of the dragon – so Shanghai was full of colourful tributes (see picture). This also meant it was a holiday weekend, so the Shanghai roads were quiet by their usual standards!
Speakers at the meeting included other ISN Executive Committee members – David Harris, Adeera Levin and also ISN Councillors & Committee chairs – Nathan Levin, Miguel Riella, Cello Tonelli. KDIGO Co-chair, Bert Kasiske, and just retired KDIGO Co-Chair, Kai-Uwe Eckardt – are also both ISN Councillors.
We had a very warm welcome from our hosts – including Nan Chen, Zhi-Hong Liu, Haiyan Wang, who all continue to be strong supporters of ISN. More than 500, mostly young, nephrologists from all over China were there – and I had a great opportunity to speak to them all for 20 minutes at the beginning of the conference about ISN – so hopefully plenty of new ISN members from among them soon! There was lively discussion to which the young nephrologists made an excellent contribution, and the room was full throughout the day.
ISN and KDIGO are natural partners. KDIGO continues to produce highly respected clinical practice guidelines – ISN can help them with disseminating the guidelines, educating about them, and implementing them globally. The five new KDIGO guidelines coming in 2012 will all be published in KI Supplements. ISN can do much to ensure the KDIGO guidelines are read, presented and discussed: making them available with commentary on the ISN Gateway, incorporating KDIGO items in the scientific programs at WCN, Nexus, and in our GO CMEs. ISN GO Regional Committees will also be able to facilitate the implementation of the guidelines.
Aliskiren trial terminated for lack of beneficial effects
Written by Luca SegantiniIn a stunning development, Novartis said Tuesday that it will terminate the late-stage ALTITUDE study investigating Rasilez (aliskiren) in patients with type 2 diabetes and renal impairment on the recommendation of an independent data monitoring committee.
Read more on our partner site UKidney
ISN Leaders
-
Adeera Levin
ISN Secretary General Adeera Levin is Professor of Medicine and Head Divsision of Nephrology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada and a consultant nephrologist based at St Paul's Hospital, Providence Health Care. -
David Harris
David Harris is a nephrologist in Sydney Australia, and Chair of the ISN Fellowship Program, Publications and Education Committees.
-
Dr. Dwomoa Adu
Dwomoa Adu. MD. FRCP
Honorary Consultant Nephrologist. Korle Bu Hospital. Accra. GhanaMy clinical research is oriented towards assessing disease activity and damage in patients with immune mediated renal diseases and developing clinical trials of therapy. Current research interests are on the prevalence and causes of chronic kidney disease and the genetic basis of chronic kidney disease in Africa.
-
Giuseppe Remuzzi
ISN President-Elect Giuseppe Remuzzi is Professor of Nephrology, Director of the Immunology and Clinical Transplantation Department and Nephrology and Dialysis Division at the Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Italy. -
John Feehally
ISN President John Feehally is a Consultant Nephrologist at Leicester General Hospital and Honorary Professor of Renal Medicine at the University of Leicester, UK. -
Norbert Lameire
is Professor of Medicine at University Hospital of Gent in Belgium and is currently Chair of the ISN Global Outreach Continuing Medical Education Program.
-
William Couser
ISN GO Chair William Couser is Affiliate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, was the Belding H Scribner Professor of Medicine and Head of the Nephrology Division and is a former ISN and ASN President.