Council Members elections

I am applying for the position of Ordinary Council Member of the European Renal Association with the aim of contributing to ERA’s strategic mission as a leading scientific society that combines academic excellence, education, and policy awareness in kidney health.

Chronic kidney disease is increasingly recognized as a major non-communicable disease with substantial clinical, societal, and economic impact worldwide. In this context, ERA has the opportunity to further strengthen its role not only within Europe, but also as a respected scientific interlocutor in the international nephrology and global health community.

As a Council Member, I would focus on four strategic priorities that align closely with ERA’s current direction.

First, strengthening ERA’s role at the interface between European and global health policy. ERA can contribute authoritative scientific input to European and international discussions on non-communicable diseases, ensuring that kidney disease prevention, early diagnosis, and transplantation are adequately represented in health strategies and research agendas.

Second, supporting the responsible governance of innovation in nephrology. Advances in precision medicine, digital health, artificial intelligence, and data integration offer unprecedented opportunities but also raise methodological, ethical, and equity-related challenges. ERA can play a key role in promoting evidence-based standards and shared frameworks that support consistent and scientifically sound implementation across different healthcare systems.

Third, reinforcing education and capacity building with an international perspective. High-quality training, lifelong learning, and support for young nephrologists and clinician-scientists remain central to ERA’s mission. Through collaboration with international partners, ERA can help promote shared educational standards while respecting regional diversity and academic excellence.

Fourth, promoting patient-centered, equitable, and sustainable kidney care. Integrating patient perspectives, addressing disparities in access to care, and supporting environmentally sustainable models of nephrology should remain core elements of ERA’s strategic vision.

If elected, I would work in close alignment with the President and the Council, supporting collectively agreed strategic priorities and contributing constructively to their implementation through scientific dialogue, experience, and collegial collaboration. My objective would be to serve ERA by helping consolidate its role as a globally respected, academically grounded, and forward-looking organization in nephrology.

Thank you for considering my application. I would be honored to serve.

Loreto Gesualdo

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Hereby I am writing to express my strong motivation to apply for the position of an Ordinary Council Member for the European Renal Association (ERA).
In line with my professional focus, I offer to contribute within the ERA Council to advancing education, fostering digital learning formats, and actively supporting the training and development of young nephrologists across Europe.

Continuous medical education is a cornerstone of high-quality patient care, and I am particularly interested in innovative and digital educational formats that increase accessibility and promote international collaboration. I strongly believe that modern, flexible learning opportunities are essential to engage the next generation of nephrologists and to ensure harmonized standards of education across European countries.

A central motivation for my application is my commitment to the education and professional development of young nephrologists. In this context, I have been actively involved in structured training initiatives and mentorship programs. As a member of the board of the German Society of Nephrology (DGfN), I played a key role in establishing and developing the “Junge DGfN,” a platform dedicated to networking, education, and representation of early-career nephrologists.

In addition, I am deeply engaged in digital education initiatives. Through MARKUS at HOMe, I organize and host weekly webinars focusing on nephrology education. This project is characterized by close collaboration with trinational colleagues from Germany, Austria, and France, reflecting my strong commitment to international exchange and cross-border cooperation. Academic partners of MARKUS at HOMe are DGfN, the Austrian Society of Nephrology (ÖGN) and the Société Francophone de Néphrologie, Dialyse et Transplantation (SFNDT) and Nephrology, Dialysis Transplantation – NDT, the official journal of ERA.

Furthermore, I have contributed to European-level collaboration through my work on the board of EURECAM, where I gained valuable experience in international teamwork, strategic planning, and representation of educational interests within a European framework.

I am highly motivated to bring this experience to the Council of the European Renal Association and to actively support initiatives that strengthen education, digital innovation, and international collaboration. I would be honored to contribute to shaping the future of nephrology education in Europe.

Yours sincerely,
Gunnar Henrik Heine

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I am writing to express my interest in joining the Council of the European Renal Association (ERA) as
an Ordinary Member. As a 56-year-old nephrologist, I currently serve as Head of the Nephrology,

Dialysis, and Kidney Transplantation Department at the University Hospital of Saint-Étienne, France.

My professional journey and deep commitment to European nephrology have motivated me to
contribute actively to the governance of our society.

Since October 2026, I have had the privilege of serving as President of the Société Francophone de
Néphrologie, Dialyse et Transplantation, a role that has strengthened my dedication to fostering
collaboration among French-speaking professionals and their European counterparts. My academic
background is rooted in the mentorship of Professor François Berthoux, former Head of our
department and President of the ERA in 2000. His leadership inspired me to embrace a European vision
for nephrology, where collective innovation and knowledge-sharing are paramount.

My engagement with the ERA is long-standing and hands-on. Since 2016, I have been a member of the
Descartes Working Group, and in 2024, I was elected its Chair. This experience has deepened my
understanding of the critical role European initiatives play in advancing nephrology research and
clinical practice. It has also reinforced my belief in the necessity of restoring French representation on
the ERA Council, which has been absent since 2021.

Joining the Council would allow me to leverage my expertise and network to support the ERA’s
mission—particularly in promoting cross-country collaboration, empowering young nephrologists, and
amplifying the visibility of kidney health challenges across Europe. I believe that my blend of clinical
experience, leadership, and European perspective would add value to the Council’s work.

Yours Sincerely,
Christophe Mariat

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I am writing to express my motivation to apply for membership in the Council of the European Renal Association (ERA). Throughout my academic and clinical career, I have been driven by a strong commitment to improving kidney health through scientific excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and an expanded understanding of the societal and planetary determinants of renal disease.

My research and academic leadership have focused on chronic kidney disease, uremic toxicity, inflammation, and cardiovascular complications, while increasingly integrating sustainability, environmental change, and planetary health into nephrology. I have actively contributed to the development of green nephrology and to raising awareness of how climate change, environmental degradation, and modern lifestyles affect both kidney health and the delivery of kidney care. This perspective is intended to complement, not replace, traditional biomedical excellence, by strengthening and future-proofing nephrology through closer links between clinical science, public health, and environmental challenges.

A central part of my professional mission has been to build bridges across disciplines and sectors. I have therefore invested substantial effort in international and cross-sectoral initiatives bringing together nephrologists, climate scientists, public-health experts, policy makers, and communicators. In particular, I have been involved in organizing international high-level meetings on climate change and biodiversity with a strong emphasis on dialogue, solutions, and implementation rather than conventional conference formats. I believe that ERA, as Europe’s leading professional organization in nephrology, has a unique opportunity to lead and shape this agenda and to support its members in the transition towards more sustainable and resilient kidney care.

In parallel, I have been deeply engaged in scientific publishing, editorial work, and the mentoring of early-career researchers. I view ERA not only as a scientific society, but as a professional community with responsibility for education, inclusion, professional development, and societal impact. My experience in international collaborative research networks has strengthened my appreciation of transparent governance, constructive dialogue, and long-term strategic thinking.

I would particularly aim to strengthen ERA’s role in sustainability and climate-related kidney health, foster interdisciplinary and international collaborations, and promote innovative meeting formats and knowledge-exchange platforms focused on practical solutions and implementation.

I am convinced that ERA is ideally positioned to lead the transformation of nephrology in Europe towards a more integrated, socially responsive, and environmentally sustainable discipline.

Thank you for considering my application.

Peter Stenvinkel, Prof Nephrology
Karolinska Institutet,
Stockholm, Sweden

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Dear Colleagues!

I am applying for the ERA Council member position at a stage in my career when I can dedicate more time to professional and societal responsibilities, meetings, and collaborative work, having already achieved many of my career goals.

I graduated from medical school in 1999 and completed residencies in internal medicine and nephrology. I have since worked as a nephrologist at Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital in Riga, Latvia. Since 2005, my main professional focus has been kidney transplantation. My PhD thesis addressed polyomavirus BK infection and its interaction with herpesvirus infections in kidney transplant recipients. I have devoted my career to advancing kidney transplantation in Latvia, with the goal of providing patients with access comparable to that of other European centres. I played a leading role in restarting the living kidney donation program in Latvia in 2007 and in introducing kidney transplantation across HLA (2011) and ABO (2012) barriers. Under my supervision, a paired kidney donation program has been developed since 2013. For my contributions to the development of living donor kidney transplantation, I received the 2017 Award of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

I have been an active member of the Latvian Association of Nephrology, serving on the board and as President of the Latvian Association of Nephrology from 2021 to 2025. During this period, I organized the Baltic Nephrology Meeting in Riga, bringing together approximately 150 participants from all Baltic countries. I now see it as timely to represent the voice of the Baltic region within the ERA Council.

Coming from a smaller country with limited resources provides a valuable perspective on innovation, efficient use of resources, and equitable dissemination of ERA initiatives across Europe. I am committed to ensuring that high-quality nephrology care is accessible regardless of where patients live, work, or travel. My background supports responsible stewardship of ERA resources while fostering inclusivity and collaboration.

As a mother of three grown children, I am fully able to commit the time required for Council duties, including travel. By joining the ERA Council, I hope to contribute to constructive dialogue, facilitate consensus when opinions differ, advance the Strong Kidney initiative, and promote state-funded access to preimplantation genetic diagnostics for families affected by inherited monogenic diseases such as polycystic kidney disease. This has been successfully implemented in Latvia as of January 1 this year and could be achieved across all ERA countries.

Yours Sincerely,
Ieva Ziedina

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