KHI Board of Directors and Federal Liaisons – Kidney Health Initiative (KHI)

Jerome A. Rossert, MD, PhD

Chair

Jerome Rossert is an independent consultant who helps companies design drug development programs focused on kidney diseases. Before establishing himself as a consultant, Jerome hel...

Shuchi Anand, MD, MS

Member

Shuchi Anand M.D. M.S. is Director of the Center for Tubulointerstitial Kidney Disease at Stanford University (http://stan.md/tikidney). She received her Medical Degree from Washin...

Mary Baliker

Member

Mary Baliker BS Public Health and Psychology. She is a passionate healthcare advocate with over 40 years of experience leading patient-centered initiatives across international, na...

Steven K. Burke, MD

Member

Steven Burke, MD, is the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Research & Development and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Akebia Therapeutics, a company dedicated to improving the lives of...

Robin Cooper, MS, RN

Member

Robin Cooper, MSN, is a healthcare and Medical Affairs leader with more than three decades in nephrology. Her expertise spans dialysis clinic operations, medical device development...

Bruce F. Culleton, MD

Member

Dr. Culleton is Chief Executive Officer at ProKidney, an autologous cell therapy company focused on preserving kidney function in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. Pre...

Manisha Dadhania, MBA

Member

Manisha Dadhania brings over 18 years of experience in the medical device sector where she has primarily led businesses focused on chronic disease and care coordination. She has m...

Ogo I. Egbuna, MD, MS, MSc

Member

Ogo Egbuna is Vice President and clinical development leader for the Vertex precision medicine programs in genetic and autoimmune kidney disease, which aim to develop transformativ...

Jay Elliott, PhD

Member

I am committed to supporting development of novel solutions to enhance the lives of people living with kidney disease. As Executive Director, Global Medical Strategy (Nephrology a...

Vanessa A. Evans, MA

Member

Vanessa Evans has been on dialysis for over 26 years and lives in Boston, MA with her husband and two sons. A passionate advocate for the last 14 years, Vanessa does not let her di...

Amanda Grandinetti, MPH

Member

Amanda Grandinetti, MPH is a research methodologist, a current Ph.D. candidate in health sciences for patient repeated outcomes in nephrology, current member of the KHI board of di...

Anthony Gucciardo, RPh

Member

As Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Anthony has had the privilege of advancing the field of nephrology through the developme...

Lauren L. Lee, MA

Member

Lauren Lee has spent the last 12 years working in the patient advocacy arena, specifically in rare kidney disease. She has been instrumental in creating a shared sense of purpose a...

John Mcdermott, MBA

Member

John McDermott is an executive with extensive experience in the life sciences and medical device industries, specializing in strategic leadership, product innovation, and global co...

John McDermott is an executive with extensive experience in the life sciences and medical device industries, specializing in strategic leadership, product innovation, and global commercialization. With a proven track record of scaling businesses, and navigating complex regulatory environments, John excels in driving growth, building high-performing teams, and launching cutting-edge technologies that improve patient outcomes. Currently, John serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Vascular Therapies, a private biotechnology company focused on developing drug-eluting bioresorbable products for vascular surgery. The lead product, Sirogen, is an investigational drug currently targeted at improving outcomes for ESKD patients requiring a vascular access for hemodialysis. Previously, John was the Co-Founder and CEO of Restore Endosystems, where he led the development of the world’s first bifurcated stent graft for treating aortic occlusive disease. The company was acquired by Merit Medical. From 2008 to 2018, he served as CEO of Endologix, Inc., a company focused on minimally invasive therapies for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. John’s career includes senior leadership roles at C.R. Bard (prior to its acquisition by Becton Dickenson) where he built the Bard Peripheral Vascular division to become a leader in the treatment of peripheral vascular and renal diseases. Prior to Bard, John was the Chief Operating Officer at IMPRA, a private company focused primarily on vascular grafts for patients requiring hemodialysis. With expertise in financing, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory affairs, clinical trials, reimbursement and global sales and distribution, John is also passionate about mentoring future leaders and creating organizational cultures of quality and accountability. He holds an MBA in Marketing/International Business and a BS in Finance. He is also a named inventor on several patents for innovative vascular medical devices.

Jennifer McKenzie, MD

Member

Jennifer McKenzie is a pediatric nephrologist and hospitalist trained at UNC-Chapel Hill who practiced clinically for 17 years in North Carolina before moving into industry to expa...

Vandana Dua Niyyar, MD, FASN

Member

Vandana Dua Niyyar is Professor of Medicine at Emory Nephrology, is designated as Master Physician at Emory DOM and serves as the site Principal Investigator for the Two Plus Study...

Priti R. Patel, MD, MPH

Member

Robert M. Perkins, MD, MPH

Member

Robert M. Perkins, MD, MPH, FACP is Vice President of U.S. Medical Affairs for Cardiovascular and Renal Diseases at Bayer U.S., where he provides strategic leadership across medica...

Robert M. Perkins, MD, MPH, FACP is Vice President of U.S. Medical Affairs for Cardiovascular and Renal Diseases at Bayer U.S., where he provides strategic leadership across medical affairs, evidence generation, health economics and outcomes research, medical communications, and field medical operations. He oversees a multidisciplinary team supporting a broad cardiorenal portfolio, including chronic kidney disease and heart failure, with a particular focus on translating high-quality evidence into clinical practice. Dr. Perkins is a board-certified nephrologist with extensive experience spanning academic medicine, clinical research, and pharmaceutical medical leadership. Prior to his current role, he held senior medical affairs leadership positions at Novartis and AstraZeneca, where he led pre- and peri-launch medical strategy for first-in-class therapies in rare and common kidney diseases, including complement-mediated glomerular disorders, diabetic kidney disease, and anemia of chronic kidney disease. His work has included the design and oversight of Phase 2, 3, and post-approval clinical trials, as well as innovative implementation science initiatives aimed at accelerating uptake of guideline-directed therapy across large health systems. Earlier in his career, Dr. Perkins served as a staff nephrologist, clinical investigator, and academic faculty member at multiple institutions, including Geisinger Medical Center, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Madigan Army Medical Center. He has held leadership roles in both inpatient nephrology and critical care and has contributed to investigator-initiated and federally supported clinical research in chronic kidney disease. Dr. Perkins earned his MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, an MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a BA from Harvard University. He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology and serves on national committees focused on kidney health and chronic kidney disease policy.

Ali Poyan Mehr

Member

Ali Poyan Mehr, M.D., is the Founding President of the GlomCon Foundation, a nonprofit charitable 501(c)(3) organization providing medical education and enabling platforms for kidn...

Glenda V. Roberts

Member

Glenda Roberts is the inaugural Director of Communications and Patient Engagement for the Mount Sinai Center for Kidney Innovation (MS-CKDi), co-led by Drs. Kirk Campbell and Jonat...

Glenda Roberts is the inaugural Director of Communications and Patient Engagement for the Mount Sinai Center for Kidney Innovation (MS-CKDi), co-led by Drs. Kirk Campbell and Jonathan Himmelfarb. Glenda brings a wealth of experience and passion to her role. Recognized for her remarkable work in kidney health research, Glenda has received several prestigious awards and has significantly elevated the patient voice in kidney research and dialysis innovation. Prior to Mount Sinai, Glenda dedicated 6.5 years to the University of Washington (UW), where she served as the Director of External Relations, Communications, and Patient Engagement for both the Kidney Research Institute (KRI) and the Center for Dialysis Innovation (CDI). Her advocacy for transformative collaboration among patient partners, researchers, and healthcare professionals has significantly enhanced research, innovation, and patient care. With over 35 years of experience as an Information Technology executive at global companies like Microsoft and General Electric, Glenda is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between technology, patient engagement, and medical research. As an inaugural member of the KRI Patient Advisory Committee (PAC), Glenda infused kidney research with patient priorities and purpose. The KRI PAC, along with the CDI Patient Advisory Board, has been at the forefront of advancing the patient perspective in research. Glenda?s influence extends beyond UW?she has authored or coauthored over 35 publications and contributed her insights and skills to national and international organizations, including the Kidney Health Initiative, KDIGO, ISN Global Kidney Trials, and the NKF-ASN Task Force Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Disease. Her commitment to diversity in kidney research and training led to a $1,000,000 philanthropic donation from the Mount Baker Foundation, fostering diversity in nephrology training through 2030. Glenda?s service has been widely recognized. She received the ?National Voice? Award from the American Association of Kidney Patients and Presidential Volunteer Service Awards from Presidents Donald J. Trump and Joseph R. Biden. Recently, she made history as the first patient to receive the ASN President?s Award and the NKF Celeste Castillo Lee Patient Engagement Award. Her commitment to treating patients as equal research partners has fostered trust within the community. At Mount Sinai, Glenda will continue to advocate for greater inclusion of the patient voice in kidney research and innovation, promoting a patient-focused culture globally.

Bruce M. Robinson, MD, MS, FASN

Member

Bruce Robinson, MD, MS, FASN, is Professor in Internal Medicine (Nephrology) at the University of Michigan (U-M) Medical School, as well as Associate Investigator, Veterans Affairs...

Alain Romero, PharmD, PhD

Member

Alain is a former Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs at Pfizer with over 30 years of experience in clinical research, medical affairs and business development. He has led cli...

Martin Schreiber, MD

Member

Dr. Schreiber brings over 40 years of leadership in clinical nephrology, research, and innovation, with a focus on home dialysis, hypertension, ICU nephrology, and chronic kidney d...

Bhupinder Singh, MD, FASN

Member

Dr. Bhupinder Singh is a nephrologist with a clinical focus on cardio-renal and metabolic disorders. He currently serves as Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University...

Dr. Bhupinder Singh is a nephrologist with a clinical focus on cardio-renal and metabolic disorders. He currently serves as Adjunct Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. He is a member of the Kidney Health Initiative’s Board of Directors starting in 2026. Dr. Singh is the Co-founder, Chief Medical Officer, and Executive Board Member of Renibus Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on cardio-renal therapies. At Renibus, he is leading development of RBT-1, a novel preconditioning agent for cardiac surgery, and Veverimer for metabolic acidosis in CKD. He also co-founded Nephcentric, which launched ure-Na, a palatable urea formulation that has transformed the treatment of chronic hyponatremia in the U.S. Dr. Singh began his biotech career in 2014 as Executive Director of Research and Medical Affairs at ZS Pharma (acquired by AstraZeneca), where he played a key role in developing sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (Lokelma) for hyperkalemia. He later joined Allakos, where he led clinical programs targeting eosinophilic GI diseases, chronic urticaria, and allergic eye disease. Prior to joining biotech, he co-founded Southwest Kidney Institute, serving as a Board Member and VP of Clinical Affairs. He was a Principal Investigator for a range of clinical trials in the cardiorenal space. His contribution to CKD care included establishing a CKD education program (with emphasis on home dialysis therapies), developing integrated anemia protocols, optimizing water use in hemodialysis and setting up a nocturnal hemodialysis program. He also helped establish CRRT programs in the community. A graduate of the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in India, Dr. Singh completed his residency at Henry Ford Hospital and a nephrology fellowship at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He co-founded Cardio Renal Society of America, a subsidiary of the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona (NKFAZ), where he served on the executive board from 2011 to 2022. He has volunteered for several organizations including NKFAZ, Transplant First Academy, PKD Foundation, and was a scientific advisor to Cricket Health. His work has been published in leading journals including NEJM, JAMA,CJASN, EClinicalMedicine, Kidney International, JTCVS, etc.

Michael Spigler

Member

Mike Spigler has served as vice president of Strategic Partnerships, Research and Education for the American Kidney Fund (AKF) since July 2015. Mr. Spigler oversees a spectrum of p...

Howard Trachtman, MD, FASN

Member

I attended Haverford College and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. I completed my residency training at Tufts-New England Medical Center and Bronx Municipal Hospital ...

Kellie Kelm, PhD

FDA Liaison

Kristen Miller, PharmD

FDA Liaison

Kristen Miller is a Health Scientist Policy Analyst in the Office of Medical Policy (OMP) in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the Food and Drug Administration ...

Aliza M. Thompson, MD, MS

FDA Liaison

Aliza Thompson is Director of the Division of Cardiology and Nephrology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Division of Car...

Curtis Warfield, MS

Ex-Officio

Curtis Warfield is a systems analyst from Indianapolis, IN. In 2012, Curtis was diagnosed with stage 3 chronic CKD due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis symptoms (FSGS). His ki...

Curtis Warfield is a systems analyst from Indianapolis, IN. In 2012, Curtis was diagnosed with stage 3 chronic CKD due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis symptoms (FSGS). His kidneys rapidly declined and started Peritoneal dialysis in 2014. His daughter tested to be a living donor. Unfortunately, she was a match. His daughter's college sorority sister had followed their story and decided to be tested and was a perfect match. In January 2016, Mr. Warfield received her kidney and a new lease on life. Since his transplant, Curtis is very passionate about advocating and educating the community by bringing awareness to kidney disease and organ donation. As an advocate leader he serves as Chair of the Kidney Health Initiative (KHI) Patient and Family Partnership Council (PFPC), he is co-chair the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Kidney Advocate Committee and is chair the NKF Patient Diversity Workgroup which addresses health disparities in the kidney community. As a peer mentor he provides personal support to those who are experiencing the challenges of kidney disease. Curtis speaks with legislators on both Capitol Hill and the Indiana State Legislature about kidney disease, organ donation and transplantation. Curtis is a patient representative with Indiana University on the Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP), Advancing Kidney Health through Optimal Medication Management (AKHOMM) and Patient Advisory Council for the Chronic Disease Coalition. He represents the patient voice on several policy committees, medical review panels, patient advisory boards and kidney and organ transplant committees. He served on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF)/ American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Task Force on Reassessing the Inclusion of Race in Diagnosing Kidney Diseases. He also is an advocate with several kidney organizations. Curtis is a member of the Board of Directors of NKF-Indiana. He is the recipient of the 2025 Derek Forfang Patient Advocate Award, 2024 NKF-Indiana Board of Directors President Award, 2021 NKF Celeste Castillo Lee Patient Engagement Award, NKF's highest honor to a distinguished kidney patient volunteer. He has a B.S. degree from Central Michigan University and a M.S. from Oakland City University. Curtis is an active member of his church and a community volunteer in the Indianapolis area. Curtis is married 39 years, has four adult children and one grandchild.