A few months ago, we put out a call for applications inviting first- and second-year trainees in US and Canadian fellowship programs to apply to the AJKD Editorial Internship. We received many thoughtful applications, unfortunately, from many more individuals than we are able to accept. We thank all the outstanding applicants (and their program directors) for taking the time to explore this program and giving us the opportunity to learn about their activities and accomplishments.

While a very difficult task, we have selected four individuals (Samantha Gelfand, Pascale Khairallah, Devika Nair, and Adrian Whelan) to join the inaugural class of AJKD‘s Editorial Internship Program, and very much look forward to working with all of them this upcoming year:

Samantha Gelfand, MD

Dr. Gelfand is a clinical-track nephrology fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Orange, Connecticut, she completed medical school at Mount Sinai in New York City and internal medicine residency and chief residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Prior to entering the field of medicine, she majored in French and Italian literature and worked as an editor at Let’s Go Travel Guides for several years. Her academic interests include symptom management, quality of life, and quality of death among patients with CKD. She is also interested in behavioral economic principles as they relate to medical decision-making in nephrology and critical care. Dr. Gelfand plans to pursue training in hospice and palliative medicine after completing her nephrology fellowship. Follow her @SammyG.

Pascale Khairallah, MD

Dr. Khairallah is a nephrology fellow at Columbia University. She was born and raised in Lebanon where she attended medical school at the American University of Beirut. After completing her internal medicine residency at Duke University, she moved to New York to pursue her ultimate passion, nephrology. Her publications include topics such as the relationship between the mineral metabolite and the acid base derangements that arise in CKD as well as CKD-associated osteoporosis. She plans to remain in academic medicine and to expand on her work in the field of CKD, particularly studying the skeletal and cardiovascular complications of CKD and how to lessen their burden in the kidney patient population. Dr. Khairallah hopes to empower women in nephrology and the field of medicine as a whole. Follow her @Khairallah_P.

Devika Nair, MD

Dr. Nair is is currently a nephrology fellow at Vanderbilt University. She received her undergraduate education at the University of California, Berkeley, followed by medical school and Internal Medicine residency training at Tulane University. She completed a Chief Residency in Internal Medicine before moving to Nashville to pursue her nephrology fellowship. Dr. Nair served as Chief Nephrology Fellow at Vanderbilt from 2017-2018 and is pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation during 2017-2019. She has long been interested in scholastic writing, served as a fellow editor of the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney News Fellows Corner during 2017-2018. Dr. Nair is deeply interested in using qualitative and quantitative methods to study the psychological determinants of patient-reported outcomes such as self-management and patient activation in advanced kidney disease as well as finding ways to facilitate better physician-patient communication about these issues. She placed 1st regionally and 2nd nationally at the National Kidney Foundation Young Investigator Forum in 2018 for her work on coping behaviors in end-stage kidney disease under the guidance of her research mentor, Dr. Kerri Cavanaugh. Dr. Nair enjoys teaching medical students and residents and is passionate about engaging future trainees in Nephrology. Dr. Nair is a Fellow Contributor to the AJKDBlog. Follow her @devimol.

Adrian Whelan, MD

Dr. Whelan completed medical school at University College Cork, Ireland, followed by postgraduate training in general internal medicine and nephrology at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He is now supplementing his training as a nephrology fellow at University of California, San Francisco. His research experience has been varied, ranging from bench research to clinical research and includes clinical trial exposure. His current research interest is in using statistical methods to examine databases and registry data in order to answer clinically important questions, generate greater understanding, and ultimately change clinical practice. He has been actively involved in teaching and in improving nephrology training during his postgraduate career. Follow him @AdrianWhelan6.