The Opportunity The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has launched a national/international search for the next Chief of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology in the Department of Pediatrics and inaugural Director of The Center for Kidney Innovation and Care. Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, the Chief will lead a clinically essential and academically important division that provides advanced nephrology care for children across North Texas and the broader region.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to envision and realize the next phase of growth for one of the largest pediatric nephrology programs in the country, while also serving as the inaugural Director of The Center for Kidney Innovation and Care. The Center is envisioned as a comprehensive hub advancing pediatric nephrology through integrated clinical care, translational research, innovation, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Its mission is to improve meaningful health outcomes for children with kidney disease by bridging scientific discovery and patient care through partnerships among clinicians, researchers, patients, and families. Our Client The Division of Pediatric Nephrology The UT Southwestern Division of Pediatric Nephrology is dedicated to providing exceptional care for children with kidney diseases, expanding knowledge of disease through research, and educating the next generation of nephrologists.
The Division includes one of the largest end-stage renal disease programs in the United States, more than 500 kidney transplants performed since the program’s inception in 1964, active basic and clinical research, and a commitment to training future physicians and scientists. The Division includes eleven faculty members and two fellows with expertise encompassing all aspects of renal disease and fluid and electrolyte abnormalities.
Patients with renal disorders are referred to the Division from all over North Texas, as well as parts of Louisiana and Oklahoma. The Division provides outpatient and inpatient consultation for Children's Medical Center Dallas, with pediatric nephrologists available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to evaluate and treat children with renal abnormalities. They also provide outpatient care at Children’s Medical Center Plano.
Clinical Services The Division provides care for children with acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, end-stage kidney disease, hypertension, glomerular disease, nephrotic syndrome, nephrolithiasis, congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract, kidney transplantation, and complex renal complications of systemic illness. The Acute Care Nephrology Program provides comprehensive renal and liver support services across pediatric, trauma, cardiac, and neonatal intensive care units.
The program has become a national leader in pediatric extracorporeal therapies and offers advanced dialysis modalities tailored to patient size and clinical need. The program is among the few pediatric centers in the country offering Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System (MARS) therapy for liver support and was the ninth center in the nation to introduce Quelimmune, an extracorporeal selective cytopheretic device designed to help modulate inflammation in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury.
The Chronic Dialysis Program at Children’s Medical Center Dallas is recognized as one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric end-stage renal disease programs in North Texas. It offers both in-center hemodialysis and home-based peritoneal dialysis services, supported by a multidisciplinary team that includes pediatric nephrologists, advanced practice providers, dialysis nurses, dietitians, social workers, child life specialists, dialysis technicians, a psychologist, and a patient educator.
The program participates in the Standardizing Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric End-Stage Kidney Disease Collaborative (SCOPE), a national quality improvement network focused on safety, quality, and outcomes in pediatric dialysis care. The Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program at Children’s Health has performed more than 500 kidney transplants since its founding in 1964. In 2025, the program achieved the highest annual kidney transplant volume in Children’s Health history and ranked first in North Texas.
The program has a history of firsts, including the first renal transplant in Texas in 1964, the first combined kidney/liver transplant at Children’s Medical Center in 1991, and the first pediatric kidney/heart transplant in Texas in 2005. The continued growth of the transplant program represents a major opportunity for the next Chief. Research Research activities in the Division are aimed at understanding the pathogenesis and treatment of kidney disease in children.
Pediatric nephrology faculty include NIH grant awardees and NIH training grant participants. The Division’s research portfolio includes basic science, clinical research, quality improvement, transplant outcomes, dialysis outcomes, and acute care nephrology research. The Division has meaningful research momentum, including K awardees, clinical trialists, multicenter research participation, and the opportunity to build a broader clinical and translational research enterprise.
Education The Division trains medical students, residents, and fellows, with a goal of developing well-rounded physician-scientists and clinical leaders who will advance pediatric nephrology through patient care, education, and discovery. Medical students gain exposure to a wide range of pediatric kidney disorders through inpatient nephrology rotations, and pediatric residents complete a nephrology rotation focused on renal physiology, fluid and electrolyte balance, and management of common and complex kidney disorders.
The Center for Kidney Innovation and Care The Center for Kidney Innovation and Care will serve as a comprehensive hub dedicated to advancing pediatric nephrology through integrated clinical care, translational research, innovation, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Guided by a mission to improve meaningful health outcomes for children with kidney disease, the Center will bridge scientific discovery and patient care by fostering partnerships among clinicians, researchers, patients, and families.
The Center’s vision is to become a nationally recognized leader in pediatric nephrology by translating scientific breakthroughs into transformative care. Through infrastructure supporting clinical research, biobanking, data science, clinical trials, and quality improvement, the Center will accelerate the development and implementation of novel diagnostics, therapeutics, and care delivery models. Research activities will be embedded in clinical practice so that discoveries rapidly inform patient care and patients have access to cutting-edge studies and emerging therapies.
The Center will cultivate a collaborative research network that brings together investigators across disciplines and institutions to address complex kidney diseases and improve long-term outcomes. Through faculty development, pilot funding opportunities, and educational programs, the Center will help train the next generation of leaders in pediatric nephrology. Sustainable investment in research infrastructure, innovation, and strategic partnerships will position the Center as a destination program for children with kidney disease while elevating the national profile of Children’s Health and UT Southwestern.
Learn more about the division here: https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/departments/pediatrics/divisions/nephrology/ The Department of Pediatrics The Department of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern is a vibrant hub of research, training, and clinical care. Its physicians, researchers, and educators are advancing the science of childhood health, preparing future leaders, and delivering care across North Texas and beyond. The Department’s missio