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Dr. Adeera Levin

2014 Medal for Research Excellence
University of British Columbia
“Dr. Adeera Levin has always emphasized the importance of collaboration and evidence-based medicine, and its acquisition when it is lacking, to guide patient care or health care resource allotment. Her collaborative spirit is most notable. It extends beyond her countless trainees to the many young investigators across Canada, introducing them to international opportunities.”
- Dr. Michelle Hladunewich, Head of the Divisions of Obstetric Medicine and Nephrology at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Dr. Adeera Levin’s research has focused on the early development of kidney disease and its association with other conditions, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD). Her description of unique abnormalities in the physiology of kidney patients with CVD such as remarking the presence of anemia and abnormal levels of vitamin D, phosphate and parathyroid hormone (PTH), was novel and resulted in a series of basic research collaborations to better understand the biology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and CVD.

A nephrologist and researcher at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care, and the University of British Columbia, Dr. Levin is the first BC researcher to receive the Medal of Research Excellence. Recently named President (2015 to 2017) of the International Society of Nephrology, she is the second woman and first Canadian ever elected to this post. She is also the inaugural editor of the new Canadian Journal of Kidney Health and Disease (CJKHD) (link to https://www.csnscn.ca/news-events/news/125-canadian-journal-of-kidney-health-and-disease in a new browser tab or window), an open-access scholarly publication and the first of its kind to serve the Canadian nephrology community.

As lead investigator of the Canadian Study of Prediction of Death, Dialysis and Interim Cardiovascular Events (CanPREDDICT) study, a large pan-Canadian project, she seeks to understand the factors leading to renal and cardiovascular disease progression in CKD patients. This new translational program, a first for nephrology in Canada, will study the genetic information (genotype) and observable characteristics (phenotype) of 2500 patients.

Head of the Division of Nephrology at the University of British Columbia and Executive Director of the BC Renal Agency, Dr. Levin has leveraged her epidemiological training, clinical knowledge and health outcomes research to develop an evidence-based system that enhances the care of patients across the continuum of care, from diagnosis to treatment.

Dr. Levin is Chair of both the national Curriculum Task Force for the Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training (KRESCENT - links to https://www.kidney.ca/page.aspx?pid=444 in a new browser tab or window) program, where she mentors promising young researchers, and of the Knowledge User group of the Canadian Kidney Knowledge Translation and Generation Network (CANN-NET - link to https://www.cann-net.ca in a new browser tab or window), where she coordinates pan-Canadian studies in CKD. She also chaired the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work group, responsible for the updated 2012 diagnostic and treatment guidelines.

Dr. Levin has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications, numerous book chapters and co-edited a text book on chronic kidney disease.