Stefan Somlo, MD, section chief
Aldo Peixoto, MD, clinical chief
Fellowships Offer Rich Learning Environment
The Section of Nephrology has extensive programs in patient care, research, and education. As national and international leaders in their field, Yale nephrologists are committed to educating the next generation of specialists through four robust clinical and research fellowships: a two-year clinical fellowship; a two-year combined nephrology-palliative care fellowship; a three-year research fellowship; and a three-year combined nephrology and critical care fellowship. Fellows care for patients at Yale
New Haven Hospital and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, making for a rich learning experience. The fellowship program is led by Ursula Brewster, MD, director; and Randy Luciano, MD, PhD, associate director.
Yale SUMR Program Nurtures Undergraduate Learning
During the Yale Summer Undergraduate Medical Research (SUMR) program, students engage in hands-on research in laboratories and clinics; attend a variety of didactic teaching sessions led by faculty mentors; socialize; and present their work to faculty and peers at the end of the 10-week session. Yale is one of only eight institutions across the country to host the program, which is funded by a R25 NIH-NIDDK/KUH grant. Students from across the United States develop their knowledge of kidney, urology, and hematology research. Shuta Ishibe, MD, has been the program director since its inception at Yale in 2014.
Honors and Awards
In recognition of his commitment to the field of transplantation and outstanding service to the American Society of Transplantation (AST), William Asch, MD/PhD, director of the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship at Yale, was selected as an AST fellow in 2022. Asch is the founder of the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship, which is one of 62 programs in the United States accredited through the AST. The fellowship is an intensive year of advanced clinical training in transplant nephrology for applicants who have completed an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-certified fellowship in nephrology.
Susan Crowley, MD, MBA, was awarded the National Kidney Foundation’s highest honor, the David M. Hume Memorial Award, in 2022. This award is given to the scientist-clinician whose work in kidney and urologic diseases exemplifies the highest ideals of both scholarship and humanism. Crowley, who served in the U.S. Navy, is the Veterans Health Administration Executive Director for Kidney Medicine Program, leading the development of clinical programs and policies in nephrology for the largest integrated health care system in the United States. She is chairperson of the VHA Kidney Health Committee, where she collaborates with a diverse group of health care specialists to shape evidence-based policies on dialysis services and preventive measures to maintain kidney health. She also is the Veteran Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System’s kidney medicine section chief.
Richard N. Formica, MD, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Kidney Foundation Serving Connecticut in 2022. Formica is director of transplant medicine for the Department of Internal Medicine and of the outpatient transplantation service, and the medical director of adult kidney transplantation at the Yale New Haven Transplantation Center. He was honored for improving the lives of patients with kidney disease while advancing research and treatment. The nationwide waitlist for kidney transplantation is almost 100,000 people as of 2022. Formica was elected president of the American Society of Transplantation in 2020 and serves on the board of directors of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).
Mark Perazella, MD, has achieved a national and international reputation as an educator in the field of nephrology during his 30-year career at Yale. He has also developed a vigorous educational component for Yale Nephrology. In November 2022, Perazella was honored for his lifetime achievements in education with the Robert G. Narins Award from the American Society of Nephrology—the society’s highest honor. Perazella was a nephrology subspecialty board member and item writer for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). He was co-chair of the National Kidney Foundation Annual Spring Clinical Meeting in 2019 and chair in 2020. He has served on educational committees for the American Society of Nephrology since 2008 and will be the co-chair of the 2023 Kidney Week meeting in Philadelphia. He also was chair of the onconephrology forum, a committee of the American Society of Nephrology. He is the co-editor of the Journal of Onco-Nephrology. Perazella also has served as a co-medical director for the American Society of Nephrology’s board review course and updates.