In recognition of his exceptional commitment to the field of transplantation and outstanding service to the American Society of Transplantation (AST), William Asch, MD/PhD, associate professor of medicine (nephrology) and surgery, and director of the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), was recently selected as an AST fellow.
“It is an honor to be recognized as a fellow of the AST,” said Asch. “The ‘FAST’ designation acknowledges my long-standing commitment to the care of kidney transplant recipients, kidney donors, and patients with end stage kidney disease in Connecticut and beyond. It also recognizes my scholarship and involvement in a leadership position on the AST’s Education Committee.”
Founded in 1982, the AST is a professional organization dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation and improving patient care through research, education, and advocacy. Asch has been a member of the organization since 2009, and was elected to the AST Education Committee in 2020. According to Asch, “The Education Committee is one of the most active in the Society and provides cutting edge webinars on Timely Topics in Transplantation, organizes a monthly society wide journal club, curates an online Comprehensive Trainee Curriculum, and reviews dozens of manuscripts annually for endorsement by the AST.”
Since completing his internship, residency, and fellowship at YSM, Asch has been a faculty member at Yale for the past 14 years. As a clinical transplant nephrologist, he spends the majority of his time caring for kidney transplant patients at Yale New Haven Hospital.
Asch is also the founder and director of Yale’s Transplant Nephrology Fellowship, which is one of 62 programs in the United States accredited through the AST. The Transplant Nephrology Fellowship is an intensive year of advanced clinical training in transplant nephrology for applicants that have completed an ACGME-certified fellowship in nephrology.
“Dr. Asch is a MD/PhD, and he is a basic scientist at heart who then expanded into clinical medicine, bringing all of that experience with him. He has been a tremendous asset, both to the section and the department,” said Ursula Brewster, MD, professor of medicine (nephrology), and director of the Nephrology Fellowship at YSM, who has worked closely with Asch throughout her time at Yale.
“Bill is a brilliant educator,” she added. “He has an understanding in transplantation that spans across the basic science and the clinical care in a way that is really very rare. He has a wonderful way of making incredibly complicated concepts straightforward for learners. And somehow in the middle of all of that intellect, he has a brilliant bedside manner and is just the nicest person - which makes him a wonderful role model for trainees.”
Yale’s Section of Nephrology is committed to excellence in patient care, research, and education with the goal for both their faculty and trainees to be national and international leaders in the field of academic nephrology. To learn more about their mission and work, visit Nephrology.