Ankur Shah, MD is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Associate Program Director of the Nephrology Fellowship training program at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He completed residency in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital, followed by fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as chief fellow and received advanced training in medical education. His primary interests are home dialysis including both peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis, topics in which he has published numerous peer reviewed articles as well as textbook chapters and has lectured both nationally and internationally. He is a decorated educator having mentored dozens of medical students, residents, and fellows and received the dean’s excellence in teaching award, department of medicine teaching award, and nephrology fellowship teaching awards at Brown and is a winner of the American Society of Nephrology’s Innovations in Kidney Education contest. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation, and the American College of Physicians.

Dr Hain is a PhD-prepared tenured professor and DNP Program Director at Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E Lynn College of Nursing. She has over 25 years of experience in nephrology, initially as an RN performing acute and outpatient dialysis and then as a Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Cleveland Clinic Florida. Dr Hain’s scholarship focuses on improving health of adults with CKD and ESKD. Currently, she has an NKF grant funded feasibility study on nutrition, depression, inflammation, and CKD. Dr Hain is also a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and she focuses her research and practice on mental health in adults with CKD and diabetes. Dr Hain has published in peer-reviewed journals and presented her research findings and clinical information at national and international conferences. She is currently a visiting Professor for Thai Nguyen National Hospital in North Vietnam, Thai Nguyen University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and is co-advisor for 4 PhD students at Thammasat University in Thailand. Dr Hain has been the chair of 7 PhD dissertations and 41 DNP capstone projects involving care of individuals with chronic disease such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, pulmonary disease, and cognitive impairment.

Edgar Lerma, MD, earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in Manila, Philippines. He completed Residency Training in Internal Medicine at UIC/Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, where he also served as Chief Resident. He completed a Fellowship in Nephrology and Hypertension at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, and the Veterans Administration Lakeside Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr Lerma is a Diplomate in the Subspecialty of Nephrology with the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and presentations; notable publications include Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Nephrology & Hypertension, Nephrology Secrets, and Henrich’s Principles and Practice of Dialysis. He has peer reviewed and served on editorial boards for numerous journals, and currently is Associate Editor for International Urology and Nephrology, Clinical Reviews in Bone and Mineral Metabolism, and Journal of Clinical Lipidology.

At present, he holds the rank of Clinical Professor of Medicine with the Section of Nephrology at University of Illinois at Chicago. He serves as the Educational Coordinator for Nephrology with UIC/Advocate Christ Medical Center.

In recognition of his clinical work and expertise, Dr Lerma has been elected to Fellowship of the American College of Physicians, Fellowship of the American Society of Nephrology, Fellowship of the American Heart Association/ Council on Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease, Fellowship of the American Society of Hypertension, Fellowship of the National Lipid Association, Fellowship of the National Kidney Foundation, and Fellowship of the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology. He has also been recognized for teaching and has been the recipient of “Subspecialty Teaching Attending Physician of the Year” in 2006 and “Physician Recognition Award for Excellence in Academics” in 2011 from UIC/Advocate Christ Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency Training Program.

Dr Lerma’s research interests include CKD, hypertension, bone and mineral disorders, and dyslipidemias in CKD.

Alf Carroll, MS, PA-C is a Senior Medical Science Liaison at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. He worked clinically as a Physician Assistant in the Emergency Department at Massachusetts General Hospital and South Shore Hospital in the Boston area. Prior to joining Otsuka, Alf held a position at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals on their Market Access team focusing on large health systems in New England, covering the cardiovascular, renal, endocrine, and respiratory therapeutic areas.

Jaimini Patel, PharmD, BCCCP, is a Nephrology Medical Science Liaison at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc. (OPDC). Dr Patel earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and completed two years of post-doctoral residency at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak and Loyola University Medical Center, respectively, specializing in critical care pharmacy practice. Prior to joining Otsuka, Dr Patel practiced as a critical care pharmacist at the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center for 3.5 years and has cared for patients in the medical, surgical/trauma, cardiothoracic and neuroscience ICUs, and was significantly involved in the care of patients with COVID-19. Dr Patel holds board certification in critical care pharmacotherapy and is a licensed pharmacist in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. She is also an active member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine through which she is engaged in research and leadership.