Division of Nephrology
The Division chair | About the division | Contact information
Faculty members | Research areas | Sections
Fellowship training program | Other points of interest
The Division chair
Todd W. Gehr, M.D.
Dr. Gehr became chairman of the Nephrology Division in July of 2004. He initially came to VCU for his Nephrology Fellowship in 1984 and joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1987, working both at the Medical College of Virginia and McGuire VA Medical Center. Dr. Gehr moved through the ranks at VCU and became a tenured, Professor of Medicine in 1999. Dr. Anton Schoolwerth retired form his position as Chairman of the Nephrology Division in 2003 after guiding the division for over 15 years.
As Chairman of the Division Dr. Gehr is committed to clinical, educational and research missions of the institution. A full time, devoted faculty support him in these goals.
About the Division of Nephrology
The Division includes three sections: Renal section of the McGuire VAMC headed by Dr. George Feldman, Transplant section headed by Dr. Anne King and the Clinical Pharmacology and Hypertension section headed by Dr. Dom Sica. Two outpatient dialysis facilities and two inpatient dialysis facilities are supported by the faculty
The division supports an active clinical inpatient and outpatient service at VCU Medical Center and McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Daily consult and ward rounds are attended by faculty, housestaff, students and fellows.
Housestaff and fellows participate actively in the inpatient and outpatient dialysis units in both institutions. The division also supports an active renal transplantation program.
Finally, the goal of the Division is to serve the central Virginia area's clinical nephrology needs while educating future physicians and remaining at the cutting edge of nephrology and clinical pharmacology research.
Contact information
Division chair
Todd W. Gehr, M.D.
P.O. Box 980160
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0160
Phone: (804) 827-1746
Fax: (804) 828-7567
E-mail: twgehr@vcu.edu
Coordinator
Valerie Harris
P.O. Box 980160
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0160
Phone: (804) 827-1740
Fax: (804) 828-7567
E-mail: valharri@hsc.vcu.edu
Faculty
Faculty members within the Division of Nephrology advance knowledge in the areas of renal therapies, transplantation and dialysis, among other topics in nephrology.
Research areas
Research in the division includes
- clinical research related to renal pharmacology,
- cardio-renal syndrome,
- hypertension,
- vitamin D metabolism,
- peritoneal and hemodialysis,
- diabetic nephropathy, and
- nutrition in diabetic patients.
Basic research involves
- whole animal research in intravascular volume regulation,
- molecular biology of mesangial cells and
- mechanisms of sodium transport.
Section of Clinical Pharmacology and Hypertension
The section is headed by Domenic A. Sica, M.D.
Dr. Sica has published extensively in the area(s) of hypertension, renal disease, and drug pharmacokinetics with over 500 abstracts, publications and chapters to his credit. Dr. Sica's research areas of interest include the pharmacotherapy of hypertension, cardiovascular risk factors in adolescent African-Americans, the pharmacokinetics of drugs in renal failure, as well as the role of the renin-angiotensin axis in disease state presentation and/or progression. Dr. Sica has been extensively involved in a service and leadership capacity with a number of the nephrology, clinical pharmacology, and hypertension organizations. Dr. Sica has several times been awarded the Best Teaching Attending award by the medicine housestaff and/or the medical student classes at the Medical College of Virginia.
In addition, he has received a number of awards in the City of Richmond for his commitment to the community and his involvement with youth. Dr. Sica established the Ram Slam Scholarship Program and the Single Mother’s Scholarship Program through which he gives back to the community by assisting those who desire to continue their education, but may need assistance in order to reach their goals.
Section of Renal/Pancreas Transplantation
The section is headed by Anne. L King, M.D.
The history of organ transplantation at the Hume-Lee Transplant center is both rich and innovative. In 1962, the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals initiated a transplant program which was then one of only three such programs in the nation.
While solid organ transplants were a relatively new concept when MCVH first made pioneering advances in the field, recent advances in organ preservation, immunosuppression, patient evaluation, and surgical techniques have led to a marked improvement in the resultsof transplantations. Once risky operations now carry success rates greater than 90 percent.
The Nephrology Fellowship Training Program at VCU is a multi-year fellowship allowing for individualized training in clinical nephrology, hypertension, transplantation and basic/clinical research.
Other points of interest
The division presents a series of care renal physiology lectures, Renal Grand Rounds, a journal club, a fluid and electrolyte series, Friday Fellows Conference and renal clinic conference schedule.
2007/10/10
Hume-Lee Kidney Transplant Center Website