Council

Roser Torra is a Professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the President of the European Renal Association (ERA). She studied Medicine at the Universitat de Barcelona and completed her Nephrology residency at the Hospital Clinic. Since 2001, she has led the Inherited Kidney Diseases Unit at the Puigvert Foundation, where she is also chief of clinical Nephrology.

Her research, with over 200 publications, focuses on hereditary kidney diseases. Roser has received numerous fellowships, competitive grants, and the Iñigo Álvarez de Toledo Nephrology research award twice. She also coordinates the Rare Diseases program at Fundació Puigvert and the ERKnet and XUEC networks.

Dimitrios S. Goumenos, born in 1958, graduated from the University of Athens Medical School in 1982 and trained in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at Laikon General Hospital.

He received a fellowship from the Alexandros Onasis Foundation for advanced training at the Sheffield Kidney Institute, focusing on glomerulonephritis and renal scarring. In 1997, he became Assistant Professor at the University Hospital of Patras, later advancing to Full Professor and Head of Nephrology in 2009. His research spans kidney disease progression, pathogenesis and treatment of glomerular diseases, obesity-related glomerulopathy, and proteomics. He has held leadership roles, including President of the Hellenic Society of Nephrology and Dean of the University of Patras Medical School. He is currently Secretary General of the European Renal Association.

Mustafa ARICI, MD, is a Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) at Hacettepe University, Ankara, and Treasurer of the European Renal Association (ERA). A member of the Turkish Science Academy and former Secretary-General of Turkish Society of Nephrology, he has also served on KDIGO’s Executive Committee. His research focuses on chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, kidney disease progression, albuminuria, fibrosis, cardiovascular risks, and sodium consumption.

He is a theme editor for Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation and holds editorial roles in several medical journals. He has co-edited two major textbooks on CKD and nephrology.

Alberto Ortiz, MD, PhD, FERA, is the Head of Nephrology and Hypertension at Fundación Jiménez Díaz and Professor of Medicine at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. He serves as Renal Science Chair of the ERA. Ortiz also coordinates Spain’s Kidney Research Network (REDINREN/RICORS2040) and SPACKDc, focusing on CKD genomics.

He received the 2020 ERA Award for Research Excellence and co-chaired the KDIGO Controversies Conference on Kidney Health in 2023. His research focuses on CKD epidemiology, acute kidney injury, and CKD pathogenesis. He was Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Kidney Journal from 2014 to 2022.

Marcin Adamczak is a Professor in Department of Nephrology, Transplantation and Internal Medicine Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

His research centers on various aspects of clinical nephrology and kidney transplantation (among others on chronic kidney disease progression, metabolic abnormalities in patients with kidney diseases and arterial hypertension). He has contributed to 190 scientific peer-reviewed scientific papers. He has been actively involved in various educational and research initiatives in nephrology both nationally and internationally. Currently he serves as a President of Polish Society of Nephrology.

Kathrin Eller is Professor of Translational Nephrology at the Medical University of Graz, Austria, and Deputy Director of the Clinical Division of Nephrology. She is President of the Austrian Society of Nephrology.

With a strong background in experimental nephrology, she has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers, with more than 6,000 citations and an H-index of 39. Her research focuses on immune mechanisms in kidney diseases such as glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, and transplantation. Since 2022, she has been an ERAC member and in 2025 served as Secretary of the ERA Congress in Vienna.

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

Kitty Jager is a Professor of Medical Informatics and Kidney Epidemiology at Amsterdam University Medical Center, Netherlands, and served as the ERA Registry Director for 22 years. After earning her PhD focused on dialysis adequacy, she has led the kidney epidemiology research group, contributing significantly to large-scale registries that monitor kidney disease outcomes across Europe.

Her research explores the prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), the frequency of Kidney Replacement Therapy, and the impact of public health on nephrology practices and patient outcomes. With over 450 scientific publications and numerous book chapters, she is also on the editorial boards of Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, KI Reports, and the African Journal of Nephrology. Additionally, she has organized over 40 international CME courses in epidemiology for nephrologists and hosted 37 visiting researchers from 20 countries.

Jennifer Lees graduated from the Universities of Cambridge (2006) and Edinburgh (2009) and trained in nephrology and internal medicine in Glasgow (2013). She began her research career with a PhD at the University of Glasgow (2016-2020), studying the role of vitamin K in vascular health, supported by the British Heart Foundation and Kidney Research UK. Appointed as a Clinical Lecturer in Renal Medicine, she completed her clinical training in 2022.

Currently, she is a Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow in Renal Medicine and Lead for Data Science at the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, University of Glasgow. Her research focuses on long-term outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD), particularly concerning cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Vassilios Liakopoulos, MD, PhD, FISN, FERA, is Professor of Nephrology and Head of the 2nd Department of Nephrology at AHEPA Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.

He has presented over 450 abstracts at conferences and authored or co-authored more than 500 scientific papers. Since 2021, he has been recognized as a Clinical Hypertension Specialist by the European Society of Hypertension. Ranked among the top 2% of scientists globally, he is known for his contributions to nephrology and has served on editorial and scientific boards, including Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, ERA’s EuDial Working Group, and the Scientific Advisory Board.

Roberto Minutolo is a Full professor in Nephrology at Dept. of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences of University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy, where he has been a faculty member since 2001.

His clinical activity is mainly dedicated to management of non-dialysis CKD, and he is responsible for the outpatient clinic activities at Division of Nephrology of University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli in Naples.

He has instituted several National and International study groups aimed at evaluating the clinical management and prognostic role of main complications of CKD. He is Principal Investigators and Study Coordinator in several research projects financed by Italian University Ministry and European Commission.

Siren Sezer is a Professor of nephrology and internal medicine based in Ankara, Türkiye. She currently serves as the Head of the Kidney Transplantation Unit at Medicana International, Ankara and is a Professor of Nephrology at Atılım University Faculty of Medicine.

She has contributed to 230 international scientific articles, garnering more than 5000 citations, and has been actively involved in various educational and research initiatives in nephrology both nationally and internationally. She has been nominated as FERA since 2012. She has taken active role in the chronic kidney disease prevention programme in Türkiye.

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