Joachim H. Ix, MD

Joachim Ix, MD, is a board-certified nephrologist who cares for patients with kidney disease, including end-stage renal disease and acute renal failure as a result of underlying conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, lupus, sepsis and glomerulonephritis. He is chief of the Division of Nephrology-Hypertension.

Dr. Ix leads multiple NIH-funded research projects that explore new ways to better kidney function. He is also the head of several clinical trials focused on reducing cardiovascular disease and bone disease in patients living with chronic kidney disease (CKD). His work — which centers extensively on lowering serum phosphate and associated hormones — has been featured in publications including the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, Circulation, and Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Dr. Ix is Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, and a member of the Editorial Board at Circulation. He also serves as a grant reviewer for NIH grants, and leads an NIH funded training grant program where he mentors a cadre of junior investigators in research methods related to kidney disease.

Dr. Ix has been invited to speak nationally and internationally on topics related to CKD and the relationship between kidney and cardiovascular disease. He was an elected fellow of the American Society of Nephrology and the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and has won several awards over the years, including the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award, the Sandra A. Daugherty Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular or Hypertension Epidemiology, and the TEACH award.

He completed a fellowship in nephrology at UCSF and earned his medical degree from The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He also holds a master's degree in biostatistics and epidemiology from UCSF. Dr. Ix is board certified in internal medicine and nephrology.

Dr. Ix is a member of many professional medical societies, including American Society of Nephrology, the American Heart Association. He is also a member of the SPRINT Trial Chronic Kidney Disease Advisory Group and a standing member for the National Institutes of Health's Kidney Nutrition Obesity and Diabetes study section.

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For more information, see Kidney Care (Nephrology).