Rakesh Malhotra, MD

Rakesh Malhotra, MD, is board-certified nephrologist who specializes in treating complex nephrology cases including hypertension, electrolyte disorders, acute and chronic renal failure, cardiorenal syndrome, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the tiny filters in the kidneys). He often consults with patients and health care providers to provide a second opinion about challenging diagnoses and helps plan the most appropriate course of treatment.

Dr. Malhotra provides comprehensive and high-quality personalized medical care with compassion and trust. As a physician scientist, he finds it fulfilling to blend clinical care with patient-oriented research in the area of hypertension, microcirculation and novel biomarkers of chronic kidney disease. He uses data from retrospective and prospective cohort studies and randomized clinical trials with focus on patient centered outcomes in chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients.

Dr. Malhotra has authored more than 35 peer-reviewed research articles in high impact journals. His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Satellite Coplon and the UCSD Academic Community Grant. He also speaks at local and national conferences.

As an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology-Hypertension at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Malhotra is involved in the training and education of medical students, residents and fellows.

Dr. Malhotra completed fellowship training in nephrology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, N.J. He earned his medical degree from Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak, India. He also completed a master's degree in public health from San Diego State University. Dr. Malhotra is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine.

He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the European Renal Association, the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis and the American Heart Association.

Outside of work, he enjoys scouring the city in search of the best food, reading history books, traveling and playing table tennis. He speaks Hindi and Punjabi fluently.

UC San Diego Health Links
For more information, see Kidney Care (Nephrology).