Nephrology Changemakers and Emerging Leaders

Belding H. Scribner, MD

Nephrology Faculty 1951-2003
Inventor of the Teflon Scribner Shunt with his research team in 1960, for which he received the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research in 2002; he was also a deeply passionate physician who cared for patients and served as Nephrology Division Head from 1958 through 1982.

Stuart Shankland, MD, MBA

Nephrology Faculty 1995-present
Nephrology Division Head from 2004 to 2020, and a prolific researcher of kidney glomerulus in health, aging, and disease. Along with Joyce Jackson, he was instrumental in key recruitments and collaborations with the Northwest Kidney Centers, and the inception of the Kidney Research Institute.

Jonathan Himmelfarb, MD

KRI Director 2008-2022
Founding director of the Kidney Research Institute, overseeing tremendous growth in research, collaboration, and patient outreach; Co-Director of the Center for Dialysis Innovation, leading research toward developing a wearable hemodialysis machine.

Joyce Jackson, MS, MHA

NKC CEO 1998-2019
Instrumental in the inception of the Kidney Research Institute and current Emeritus CEO of Northwest Kidney Centers (NKC). Over her 21-year tenure at the NKC, she has significantly expanded the clinical footprint from eight to twenty outpatient dialysis clinics.

William Patrick "Pat" Fleet, MD

Nephrology Faculty 1971-2013
A beloved faculty member at Harborview Medical Center for over 40 years, who received many honors and awards for his outstanding teaching, his humanity, and his exceptional care of patients. He loved his work and was an inspiration and role model to many in their practice of medicine.

Nisha Bansal, MD, MAS

Director of the UW Medicine Kidney-Heart Service, and Director of Nephrology Clinical and Research Education. As a physician-scientist, she investigates the epidemiology and pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic kidney disease. She is the recipient of the 2016 Fialkow Scholar Award, the ANIO Award for Academic Excellence, and the Distinguished Researcher Award from the American Society of Nephrology, among other awards and accolades.

Catherine (Kate) Butler, MD, MA

Physician-scientist focused on care for older adults and adults with chronic kidney disease and complex comorbidities. Studies real-time approaches to health-system resource scarcity, including healthcare resource allocation during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is the recipient of the 2020 Chair of Medicine Scholars Award.

Benjamin (Beno) Freedman, PhD

Principal Investigator of the Freedman Lab and a member of the Kidney Research Institute and the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. His research focuses on the use of human iPS cell-derived organoids, CRISPR gene editing, and high-throughput screening to guide the development of 21st-century therapies for various kidney diseases, cilia, glomerular disease, COVID-19, diabetic kidney disease, nephropathic cystinosis, and kidney regeneration. He is the recipient of the 2020 Fialkow Scholar Award.

Nicolae Leca, MD

Medical Director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation service, and Medical Director of the UW Medicine Transplant Institute. He is a leader in novel immunosuppressive approaches and clinical trials in kidney and pancreas transplantation, antibody-mediated rejection, and post-transplantation care. 

Matthew Rivara, MD

Former Director of the Inpatient Dialysis service at Harborview Medical Center and UW Medicine Outpatient Dialysis, Medical Director of the Broadway and Elliott Bay Kidney Centers, and Vice-Chair of the Medical Executive Committee at Northwest Kidney Centers (NKC). He is currently the Chief Medical Officer of NKC.

Susan Wong, MD, MS

Physician-scientist focused on investigating advanced kidney disease. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation awarded her the 2020 Clinical Scientist Development Award for this work. She has received several other notable grants and awards for her efforts.