Please accept my warm welcome: I am glad that you are here and invite you to explore the many aspects of the Section of Nephrology at Baylor College of Medicine across the clinical, scientific, and educational mission areas. Whether you are a prospective patient, trainee, or collaborator, we welcome your interest in advancing kidney health.
Our mission is to provide outstanding care for individuals with kidney disease while leading in research, training, and community impact. We care for patients across a wide range of sites, including Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Ben Taub Hospital, Houston Methodist, and Texas Children’s Hospital, and community affiliates. We offer both general nephrology and highly subspecialized care through clinics dedicated to glomerular diseases, electrolyte disorders, resistant hypertension, women’s kidney health, genetic kidney disease, and more.
Our faculty serve as medical directors for two major kidney transplant programs and lead innovations in home dialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Faculty productivity continues to rise across clinical sites, including a new state-of-the-art outpatient dialysis facility at Harris Health’s Quentin Mease Health Center, directed by Dr. Kevin Erickson, an internationally renowned clinical and health policy expert in dialysis care.
Our research spans basic, translational, and population science, supported by funding from the NIH, VA, foundations, and philanthropy. The Selzman Institute for Kidney Health anchors our research program. Faculty are regularly recognized with competitive grants and publish in high-impact journals. Highlights include new and renewed NIH R01 and VA Merit grants, and leadership contributions to Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials published in Nature Medicine,Kidney International, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Several of our faculty are deeply involved in national and international professional societies such as the American Society of Nephrology, the National Kidney Foundation, the Renal Physicians Association, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO), and the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Education is a cornerstone of our mission. Our Nephrology Fellowship, led by Drs. Maulin Shah, Sehrish Ali, and Hania Kassem offer a tailored second-year experience and fill all positions annually. Faculty have earned institutional and national honors for their dedication to training the next generation of clinicians and investigators. Several faculty members received BCM-level educational awards and accolades every year. Notably, Dr. Bryan Tucker received the prestigious 2025 John P. McGovern Outstanding Teacher Award, and Dr. Sarwar Khan was honored with the 2025 Award for Best Subspecialty Teaching Faculty at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center.
We are also proud to celebrate creativity and storytelling in kidney care. Dr. Medha Airy’s film, “The Rising Phoenix,” was a finalist at the 2024 World Congress of Nephrology, highlighting the human side of dialysis through the lens of a patient who is also an award-winning baritone.
Thank you for your interest in our section. We look forward to working with you to improve kidney health through care, research, education, and service.
Wolfgang C. Winkelmayer, M.D., Sc.D.
Chief, Section of Nephrology
