About Us

The Division of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine is one of the largest nephrology programs in the country with very active and expanding programs in clinical nephrology, research and training of new generations of physicians at different levels.

The division was directed by John H. Sadler, MD, from 1972-1994. Since 1994, Matthew R. Weir, MD, has been the Director of the Division. In this period of time, the program has grown from eight to 28 academic faculty and six volunteer faculty members. Abdolreza Haririan, MD, MPH, is the Vice Chief of the Division and the Medical Director of the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program.

Our clinical programs provide care to patients with all types of kidney diseases and disorders, at multiple practice sites, including the University of Maryland Medical Center, Downtown and Midtown campuses, and the Baltimore VA Medical Center.

Clinical Nephrology

Our Outpatient Clinical Nephrology Program includes specialized practices that provide the highest quality, state-of-the-art care to patients with various forms of kidney disease. These specialty practices include:

Onconephrology

Specializing in patients with genitourinary cases or those with kidney injury related to chemotherapy for cancer.

• George Bonifant, MD
• Tihanna Premuzic, MD

Pregnancy-Related Kidney Disease

Specializing in care for women with kidney disease or hypertension who are planning to get pregnant, and those who have pregnancy-related complications with elevated blood pressure or kidney disease.

• Sarah Khan, MBBS

Kidney Disease Associated with Diabetes

Specializing in clinical management strategies to slow progression of kidney disease.

• Jagman Chahal, MD
• Simran Dhillon, MD
• Matthew Weir, MD

Kidney Disease in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension

Specializing in guideline-based medical therapy to improve clinical outcomes in patients with heart and kidney disease.

• Neil Agarwal, MD
• Ami Patel, MD

Glomerular Kidney Disease

Specializing in the management of all forms of primary glomerular diseases, as well as secondary glomerular diseases such as lupus nephritis and vasculitis. The program also includes opportunities to utilize novel therapies to improve clinical outcomes.

• Preeti Chandra, MD

Kidney Stones

Specializing in the treatment of kidney stones and prevention of new kidney stone formation.

• Donna Hanes, MD

Complicated Hypertension

Specializing in the care and control of blood pressure in patients with resistant or refractory hypertension, and those patients with secondary forms of hypertension.

• Donna Hanes, MD
• Matthew Weir, MD

Acute Kidney Injury

Specializing in the care of patients who have sustained acute kidney injury so as to prevent further loss of kidney function.

• Matthew Weir, MD

Comprehensive Transplant Care

Specializing in preparing patients with advanced kidney disease and those with insulin-dependent diabetes for kidney and/or pancreas transplantation; management of immunosuppressive therapy, chronic kidney disease, and the complications associated with transplantation in kidney and pancreas recipients; and management of kidney disorders in liver, lung and heart transplant recipients.

Kidney Care in Veterans

Specializing in all levels of nephrology care including blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, mineral bone disease, anemia, cognitive function and nutrition.

• Stephen Seliger, MD
• Jeffrey Fink, MD
• A. Ahsan Ejaz

Polycystic Kidney Disease and Adult Genetics Clinical Program

Specializing in care for patients with various types of polycystic kidney disease and genetic forms of kidney disease.

• Terry Watnick, MD
• Stephen Seliger, MD
• Valeriu Cebotaru, MD

Our nephrologists provide specialized care for patients with end-stage renal disease, on hemo or peritoneal dialysis. In affiliations with DaVita Fresenius, Concerto and the Independent Dialysis Foundation, we manage different dialysis modalities, including in-center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis.

Our faculty perform a large number of native and transplant kidney biopsies for diagnosis and management of patients at all three of our clinical sites. Biopsy samples are evaluated collaboratively by two renowned Nephropathologists at our medical center.

The nephrology teams provide consultative services to hospitalized patients with kidney disease or with disorders related to kidney dysfunction, and transplant recipients in the three medical centers. Seven consultative teams manage these patients.

The Division participates in a large multi-organ transplant program and has multiple services within the University of Maryland Medical Center (both the downtown and midtown campuses), the Baltimore VA Medical Center, and the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center.

Nephrology Research

The Division of Nephrology is actively engaged in both basic science and clinical research in nephrology. We have several research centers, including:

• The Maryland Polycystic Kidney Disease Research and Translational Core Center for the Study of Polycystic Kidney Disease and The Kidney Research Center, directed by Terry Watnick, MD.
• The Early Renal Insufficiency and Safe Kidney Programs, directed by Jeffrey C. Fink, MD, MS.
• The Transplant Clinical Research Program, directed by Abdolreza Haririan, MD, MPH, in collaboration with Jonathan Bromberg, MD, PhD, Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Surgery.

Active Grants

The Division currently has 10 active NIH grants, including:

• The PKD Center (both as coordinating center and clinical care center)
• Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study
• APOL1 Long-term kidney transplantation Outcomes network (APOLLO)
• Reaching Equity for transplantation and donor outcomes in Adults and Children (REACH)
• Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonism Clinical Evaluation in Atherosclerosis (MAGMA)
• Caring for outpatients after Acute Kidney Injury (COPE-AKI)
• Understanding barrier to home dialysis and re-transplantation following graft failure in Black and Hispanic Kidney transplant recipients (REACH-DART)

Additionally, the Division faculty research projects are supported by more than two dozen grants sponsored by foundations and industry, mostly as investigator-initiated studies.