World Kidney Day (WKD) is observed annually on the second Thursday of March and in 2026 falls on March 12, under the theme “Kidney Health for All: Caring for People, Protecting the Planet”. Read more about WKD 2026 here.

In this episode, WKD Joint Steering Committee member Dr. Manjusha Yadla is joined by fellow committee members Dr. Natarajan Gopalakrishnan and Bill Wang to examine the growing connection between kidney health, climate change, and planetary well-being. The discussion explores climate change as an emerging risk factor for kidney disease and highlights the importance of prevention through education, awareness, and sustainable healthcare practices, underscoring the shared responsibility of clinicians, patients, and policymakers to protect kidney health, promote environmentally responsible care, and translate public-health frameworks into meaningful, long-term global action.

The International Society of Nephrology Education Working Group has undertaken the development of a comprehensive online program to advance understanding and education in this rapidly evolving field. The new curriculum ‘Genetics in Kidney Disease’ led by Drs. Becky Ma and Anuja Java, features a series of 11 recorded lectures covering key topics in nephrogenetics, together with roundtable-style panel discussions featuring leading experts on each topic for open conversations and deeper insights.

This first episode of season six of the Global Kidney Care Podcast is a sneak peek at the first roundtable discussion on Genetics for the Nephrologist (monogenic, polygenic; testing methodology) with Drs. Amali Mallawaarachchi, Ali Gharavi, and Christie Thomas. To continue your education in Genetics in Kidney Disease, view the rest of the first module and the full curriculum here.

Jay L. Koyner, MD, is a Professor of Medicine in the Section of Nephrology at the University of Chicago where he also serves as the Medical Director of the Inpatient Dialysis Unit, Director of ICU Nephrology and the Associate Program Director of the Nephrology-Critical Care Fellowship. He hosted by Dr. Sola Aoun Bahous, Dean and Professor of the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology at the Lebanese American University. Sola is also the Chair-Elect of the ISN Education Working Group. In this episode, Jay and Sola discuss the Acute Kidney Injury and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on detection. They will discuss Jay’s research in multi-modal deep learning models and his building of practical AKI Alerts, and how these innovations could change kidney care worldwide.