Biography

My major area of research interest is the design and conduct of multi-center renal clinical trials where I have had leadership roles in numerous NIH sponsored clinical trials including the MDRD, AASK, HEMO, pilot Diabetic Nephropathy Trial and currently the SPRINT Trial.  In these trials, in addition to being the PI at the Vanderbilt high enrolling and high performing center I have also had numerous leadership roles for the overall trial including serving on or leading the protocol design, form design, intervention, htn management, outcome classification and publication committees.  I have played a key roles in the Collaborative Study Group(CSG), an independent ARO, sitting  on its executive committee for twenty years in charge of protocol development and more recently as Vice President . The CSG has been responsible for key clinical trials in nephrology leading to FDA approval of captopril and irbessrtan for diabetic nephropathy. More recently I have led the clinical coordinating center, developed the protocol, forms and other key trial elements for the development of a novel phosphate binder the results if which have been submitted to the FDA.

Currently, I serve as head of several NIH and industry sponsored oversight /advisory panels for other studies and I sit on the cardio-renal FDA Advisory Board for a six year term.

In my academic role I have over 200 publications in peer approved journals and I am the director of the renal fellowship training program at Vanderbilt.