Anatole Besarab, MD (Co-Chair), received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, and then carried out his internship and residency in medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital. Dr Besarab then spent 3 years as renal Fellow at Harvard Medical School (under Dr Frank Epstein) in Boston, MA, before moving to Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, for 19 years, followed by his first stint at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI. For 2 years he was Section Chief at West Virginia University. He currently is on the faculty of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Henry Ford Hospital, and has his academic appointment at Wayne State University. In the past decade, Dr Besarab's work has focused on optimizing the management of anemia and detecting vascular access dysfunction before thrombosis. His current research interests include evaluation of diagnostic tests to detect angioaccess dysfunction and developing algorithms that maximize hematopoietic response to epoetin. He is author of more than 100 papers, 30 chapters, and several monographs and has spoken extensively at national meetings and academic centers. He has served on various committees for the Forum of ESRD Networks of End-Stage Renal Disease Networks, the American Society of Nephrology, ASAIO (American Society for Artificial Internal Organs), and the National Institutes of Health. He has served on the editorial board of several journals, reviews extensively for many journals, and is a reviewer for UpToDate. He is the current Chairman of the National Kidney Foundation Work Group on Vascular Access. Dr Besarab has received research funds, grants or contracts from Abbott Laboratories, Advanced Magnetics, Affymaz, American Regent Inc. Amgen, Inc., Baxter, Genentech, Hoffman-La Roche, Rockwell International, Transonic Systems Inc., VascAlert, and Watson Pharmaceuticals.
Deborah Brouwer, RN, CNN, is Director of Therapeutic and Clinical Programs at Renal Solutions, Inc. She is a member of the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation Council of Nephrology Nurses and Technicians, and the American Nephrology of Nurses' Association. Ms Brouwer has received research funds, grants or contracts from CR Bard, Genentech, Transonic Systems Inc., and WL Gore.
Timothy E. Bunchman, MD, is Director for Pediatric Nephrology and Transplantation at DeVos Children's Hospital. His areas of interest include acute renal failure, vascular access, and solid-organ transplantation. He has received grants from Gambro Healthcare, Baxter Healthcare, and Dialysis Solution, Inc. Dr Bunchman has received research funds, grants or contracts from Baxter, Dialysis Solutions Inc., Gambro, Hoffman-La Roche, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis.
Lesley C. Dinwiddie, MSN, RN, FNP, CNN, is a self-employed nephrology nurse consultant. She is a member of the American Nephrology of Nurses' Association. Her areas of interest include vascular access, palliative care, and restless legs. She has received grants from ANNA, Genentech (and their medical education associates), Shire (including Cardinal MES and ProActive), American Regent, Ahrens, Balwit and Associates, Arrow, and Vasca. Ms Dinwiddie has also received research funds, grants or contracts from Amgen, Arrow International, Genentech, Roche Canada, and Shire US.
Stuart L. Goldstein, MD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. He is the Medical Director of the Dialysis Unit at the Texas Children's Hospital and the Administrative Director of the Pheresis Service at the Texas Children's Hospital, both of Houston. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Society of Nephrology, the International Pediatric Nephrology Association, the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, the International Society of Nephrology, and the Society for Pediatric Research. In addition, he is on the Medical Review Board for the End-Stage Renal Disease Network of Texas, Clinical Affairs Committee for the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, Dialysis Advisory Group for the American Society of Nephrology, and Training/Certification Committee of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology and is the Pediatric Nephrologist Representative for the International Society of Nephrology Commission of Acute Renal Failure. He has received grants from Gambro Renal Products; Dialysis Solutions, Inc; Baxter Healthcare; B. Braun, Inc; Amgen Inc; Abbott Laboratories; and Toray Inc. He also has lectured for Genentech. Dr Goldstein has received research funds, grants or contracts from the American Academy of Pediatrics, Baxter Healthcare, Dialysis Solutions, Inc., Gambro Renal Products, Genentech, Luitopold Pharmaceuticals, NxStage Inc., and the University of Missouri.
Mitchell L. Henry, MD, is Chief of the Division of Transplantation at Ohio State University. He is a member of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. His areas of interest include transplantation, organ preservation, and immunosuppression. He has received grants from Novartis and MedImmune. Dr Henry has received research funds, grants or contracts from Coalescent/Medtronic, Genzyme, Novartis, Hoffman-La Roche, and Wyeth.
Klaus Konner, MD, is now a retired clinical nephrologist, dedicated particularly to the problems of vascular access, performing (as a nephrologist) access surgery during a period of 30 years, in addition to also practicing diagnostic and interventional radiology. He is a member of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association/European Renal Association, American Society of Nephrology, and a founding member of the Vascular Access Society. Dr Konner's special area of interest during the last decade is vascular access in elderly, hypertensive, and/or diabetic hemodialysis patients, aiming at a clear preference of the autologous arteriovenous fistula. He achieved more than 2,500 consecutive arteriovenous fistulae as a first-access procedure. Dr Konner has received research funds, grants or contracts from Gambro Renal Products, Germany.
Alan Lumsden, MD, FACS, is Professor and Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is a member of the Society of Vascular Surgery, the American Association for Vascular Surgery, the Society of Clinical Vascular Surgery, the International Society of Endovascular Specialists, the Association of Vascular Access Surgeons, the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, the International Society of Endovascular Specialists, the Texas Medical Association, the Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society, the Harris County Medical Society, the San Antonio Vascular Surgical Society, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Furthermore, he is on the editorial board of the Journal of Endovascular Therapy and Vascular Ultrasound Today and is an associate editor of Vascular Surgery. He has performed clinical trials for VNUS, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, and WL Gore. Dr Lumsden has received research funds, grants or contracts from Boston Scientific, Medtronic, WL Gore, and VNUS.
Thomas M. Vesely, MD, is Associate Professor at the Washington University School of Medicine. He is on the board of directors of the Association of Vascular Access. His area of interest includes vascular access in all of its applications. He has received grants from CR Bard; Angiodynamics, Inc; Spire BioMedical; Transonic, Inc; Bayer; Datascope; and Enpath. Dr Vesely has received research funds, grants or contracts from Angiodynamics, Bayer, CR Bard, Datascope, Enpath Medical Inc., Pervasis Therapeutics Inc., Spire Biomedical Inc., Rex Medical, Transonic Inc., and WL Gore.
Jack Work, MD (Co-Chair), is Professor of Medicine and Director of Interventional Nephrology at Emory University. He is the chairperson of the End-Stage Renal Disease Clinical Performance Measures QI Vascular Access Committee, a member of the National Vascular Access Improvement Initiative and Leadership group, and a member of CMS Dialysis Facility Compare Vascular Access Quality Expert panel. He currently is president of the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology and a board member of the Vascular Access Society of the Americas. His areas of interest include vascular access management, the biology of neointimal hyperplasia, vascular access surveillance techniques, and continuous flow peritoneal dialysis. Dr Work has received research funds, grants or contracts from Cleveland Clinic, National Kidney Foundation's Clinical Meeting, Novoste Corporation, the University of Missouri Dialysis Conference, and Vasca Inc.