Isidro B. Salusky, MD

Isidro B. Salusky, MD is Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Chief of Pediatric Nephrology and Director of the Pediatric Dialysis Program. In 1996, Dr. Salusky established a specific clinic for the assessment of Bone and Mineral metabolism in children with different genetic and systemic disorders.

Dr. Salusky received his MD degree from National University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and completed pediatric residency training at Dr. Pedro de Elizalde Hospital Pediatrics, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thereafter, Dr. Salusky completed his fellowship in Pediatric Nephrology from Hospital des Enfants Malades, Paris, France and Pediatric Nephrology, at UCLA 1982 and stayed on as faculty. He is Board Certified in Pediatric Nephrology.

As a clinical-translational research scientist, he has focused his research efforts on the abnormalities of bone and mineral metabolism that are associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children. Through continuous NIH funding, his group has characterized the features of bone diseases across the stages of CKD, and after renal transplantation. Dr. Salusky has also provided significant groundwork for elucidating the relationship between abnormalities of bone and mineral metabolism and vascular calcifications in children and young adults treated with dialysis. His current efforts are focused on studying the role of FGF23 in the pathogenesis of CKD-Mineral and Bone Disorder. More recently, his group has characterized the role of iron and erythropoietin on FGF23 production in the context of CKD. Such studies led to the current prospective randomized clinical trial, NIH funded, (UO1 DK119950) to assess the effects of an iron based binder on FGF23 levels in children with CKD.

Dr. Salusky is a international recognized leader in the field of bone and mineral metabolism in children with CKD, his expertise is recognized by national and international societies as a regular invited speaker. In addition, Dr. Salusky, co-chair the development of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of the nutritional and mineral abnormalities in children with CKD. He is member of the American Society of Nephrology, Society for Pediatric Research, American Society of Bone and Mineral Research and International Society of Pediatric Nephrology (IPNA). At IPNA, Dr. Salusky has multiple roles as Councilor, Treasury and President. Dr. Salusky is committed to the training of the next generation of physicians-scientists in Pediatric Nephrology.