U of M Faculty Selected for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars Program

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (July 3, 2007) — Ajay Israni, M.D., M.S., an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, was selected for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars Program Class of 2010.

Israni is one of 15 recipients who will receive an award of up to $300,000 to conduct his research project, “Ethnicity, Follow-up Care and Renal Function Monitoring After Kidney Transplantation.” Israni became interested in this topic while caring for kidney transplant patients as a transplant nephrologist at Hennepin County Medical Center. He observed that African-Americans suffered a substantially greater rate of renal transplant loss than do their white counterparts that cannot be completely explained by immunological and socioeconomic differences. His project explores whether follow-up pattern of care and monitoring of kidney function explains the greater rate of renal transplant loss.

“This project will not only lead to understanding the importance of patient care for African-American post-kidney transplantation patients, but could lead to important improvements in access to care among patients with chronic health conditions in the United States,” said Israni.

Israni received his M.D. from New York University School of Medicine in 1995 and his M.S. in clinical epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2004. He has led research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in molecular epidemiology of kidney transplant complications and also holds other grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). In addition to the funding he will receive as a program scholar, Israni will commit at least 50 percent of his time over the next three years to research and will benefit from national and local mentorship offered by the program’s National Advisory Committee (NAC).

The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation Physician Faculty Scholars Program is designed to strengthen the leadership and academic productivity of junior medical school faculty dedicated to improving health and health care.

For more information, please visit http://rwjfpfsp.stanford.edu.  

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more information visit www.rwjf.org.