Department of Renal Medicine

Our clinical and research expertise includes applied epithelial physiology and pathophysiology, renal genetics and cell biology, immunology and inflammation, mineral metabolism, cardiovascular disease, and modalities of renal replacement therapy and conservative management. We apply these to kidney research, clinical care, and training.

About us

Head: Professor Alan Salama
Location: Royal Free Campus

We became a single clinical service and academic unit in 2006 with the merger of renal services at the Middlesex, University College, and Royal Free Hospitals. We are formally linked with the clinical Nephrology service at the Royal Free Hospital.

Our work

We are within the Transplantation and Immunology theme of the UCL Academic Health Sciences Centre (UCL Partners). This includes active renal, liver (including islet cell) and bone marrow transplant programmes, as well as plans for face and laryngeal transplantation.

Concept image of two kidneys illuminated in orange against a black and blue transparent silhouette of the body

Clinical Kidney Disease

Concept image of kidneys illuminated in red, yellow and blue

Dialysis and Physiology

Concept image of a clinician holding a virtual renal system (kidneys) in his/her palm

Experimental Nephrology

Genetics and Genomics

Surgeon with forehead lamp concentrating on a transplant

Transplantation

Concept image of an illuminated urological system (kidneys, bladder, etc) against a dark body background

Urological Biology

Collaborators

We have significant internal collaborations and links with other UCL departments, including physiology, biochemistry, genetics, virology, rheumatology, infectious diseases, immunology, and clinical pharmacology.

Internal collaborators

External collaborators

Clinical collaborators

Teaching

Our staff contribute to the MBBS Medicine and several pre-clinical and biomedical science undergraduate courses. We also offer CPD short courses to trainee practitioners, both clinicians and scientists.

CPD

Our short courses run over two or three days. Each covers a wide breadth, ranging from the patient pathway to therapies to cutting edge science. The course faculty teams are recognised experts in their field and are drawn from the UK, Europe, and the United States.

We run the following short CPD teaching courses.

Applied Renal Physiology

A 3-day in-person course which covers the pathophysiology and clinical management of electrolyte and acid-base disorders, hypertension and fluid management.

Renal Dialysis

A 3-day comphrensive introduction to dialysis. Ideal for specialist registrars in nephrology and other healthcare workers involved in managing patients with chronic renal failure.

Stock image of a clinician in protective equipment and mask holding a model of a kidney

Renal Transplantation

An online course for nephrology clinicians, renal transplant surgeons and nurses. Covers clinical aspects of kidney transplants, from donor selection to post-transplant management.

Infectious and Global Nephrology

A 3-day course for anyone with an interest in the interaction of infectious disease and the kidney as well as some of the specific nephrology challenges in low and middle-income settings.

MBBS

We provide nephrology training to MBBS medical students. Year 4 students take a four-week renal-endocrine block where they receive personal tutorials, small-group seminars, case-based exercises, and bedside teaching. They also attend clinics and visit community kidney care centres, gaining a broad insight into common renal problems faced by patients. They also get exposure to specialist renal medicine, including kidney transplantation and acute nephrology.

Students can apply for a four-week component in their final year to learn about specialist nephrology in detail. Here, they have access to the full range of our expertise and the Royal Free Renal Unit. They attend specialist clinics in renal inflammation/vasculitis, metabolic stone, renovascular, amyloid, nephrotic, acute post-transplant, and renal genetics outpatients. They attend ward rounds and radiology and pathology meetings and receive regular bedside teaching and tutorials from leading experts in all aspects of renal disease.

Teaching is conducted by department staff, alongside consultants from the clinical service, junior doctors, specialist nursing staff, dietitians, and other members of the multidisciplinary team. One-to-one sessions with our patients provide valuable insights into the experience of living with renal disease. We take a problem-based approach to teaching in our small group seminars, while e-learning resources complement face-to-face activities.

Department of Renal Medicine Patient Partnership Group

This group of Royal Free Hospital renal patients and Royal Free Hospital renal clinicians meet several times a year to discuss issues such as:

Lay/patient input into research project design and grant applications.
Facilitating surveys/questionnaires of specific patient groups to inform the research agenda.
Communicating research results to the patient and carer population.
Identifying patients to undertake specific roles in research (e.g. patient co-applicants or committee members).