Dr. Sharma serves as the Vice President of Clinical Development as Therapeutic Head for Nephrology and Hematology at Alexion an Astra Zeneca Company. He currently serves as an independent board member for Checkpoint Therapeutics. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer for both Boise Kidney and Hypertension Institute and Pacific Renal Research Foundation. He has held numerous senior leadership industry positions at both biotech companies as well as larger pharmaceutical companies in various roles. These companies include Reata, Keryx, Relypsa, Akebia, and Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Sharma has served has an appointed member for many national and international committees. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Kidney Health Initiative a public-private partnership with the ASN and FDA. He has been recently appointed to serve a 2-year term as the Chair of the Drugs Committee for the KHI which represents 115 different stakeholders in the pharma community. He is currently a Board Member of the New England Chapter of the National Kidney Foundation. He also holds National leadership positions for the National Kidney Foundation’s Global Patient Network as well as its National Leadership Council for Corporate Activities. He is a fellow of the National Kidney Foundation, the American Society of Nephrology, and the American College of Physicians, and is an inducted member of the Royal Society of Medicine. He has authored many important manuscripts in the field of cardiorenal medicine, has served on many clinical trial executive steering committees, and is an invited lecturer for many national and international meetings. Dr. Sharma received his medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans in 1994. Dr. Sharma completed his nephrology and hypertension fellowship at the University of California in San Diego where he served as a fellowship director for his site from 2000-2005. Dr. Sharma is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine for internal medicine and nephrology, and he also has an additional certification as a hypertension specialist by the American Society of Hypertension.