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 people with kidney disease. Akebia markets Auryxia and Vafseo in the United States and is developing treatments for acute kidney injury, glomerular diseases, and conditions associated with premature birth. Dr. Burke has extensive experience in medical research and drug development. Before joining Akebia, he served as SVP and CMO at Proteon Therapeutics, where he focused on treatments for kidney and vascular diseases. Prior to that, he was SVP of Medical and Regulatory Affairs at Genzyme, working on therapies for hyperphosphatemia, vascular calcification, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and glomerular diseases. Earlier in his career, Dr. Burke held leadership roles at GelTex Pharmaceuticals, including Vice President of Clinical Research and Medical Director, where he played a key role in developing Renagel and Renvela for patients with kidney failure. He also worked at Glaxo Inc. and co-founded two companies specializing in treatments for iron-overload-related conditions. Dr. Burke earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his medical degree from Weill Cornell University Medical College. He completed his residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. A recognized leader in nephrology, he is the inventor on multiple patents and has authored numerous publications on kidney disease diagnosis and treatment.