ISN Awards winners 2027 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Alfred Newton Richards Award to Romagnani
Meet the 2027 ISN Awards winners - International Society of Nephrology
Meet the 2027 ISN Awards winners
Celebrating excellence across the global kidney care community
Please join us in congratulating the 2027 ISN Awards winners whose dedication, innovation, and leadership have advanced kidney care, education, research, and collaboration around the world.
Africa: Gloria Enow Ashuntantang-Some (Cameroon)
Eastern and Central Europe: Rümeyza Kazancıoğlu (Türkiye)
Latin America: Hercilio Alexandre da Luz Filho (Brazil)
Middle East: Ali Abu-Alfa (Lebanon)
NIS and Russia: Ashot Sarkissian (Armenia)
North and East Asia: Chuluuntsetseg Dorj (Mongolia)
Oceania and South East Asia (OSEA): Abu Bakar Suleiman (Malaysia)
South Asia region: Devinder Singh Rana (India)
Award winners will be recognized at the ISN World Congress of Nephrology 2027 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (April 1-4, 2027). ISN Pioneer Award winners will be presented with their awards at regional events throughout 2027.
Paola Romagnani – the Alfred Newton Richards Award
The Alfred Newton Richards Award rewards outstanding basic research in kidney-related fields. This year’s winner, Paola Romagnani , is director of the department of medical specialties and head of the nephrology and dialysis unit at Meyer Children’s Hospital IRCCS in Florence, Italy, and full professor and chair of nephrology at the University of Florence.
Professor Romagnani graduated in medicine and surgery from the University of Florence, where she also obtained her PhD in endocrinology and completed her residency in nephrology. She is internationally recognized for her pioneering contributions to kidney biology, regenerative medicine, and precision nephrology. Her discoveries identified resident kidney progenitor cells and established their fundamental role in kidney homeostasis, regeneration, fibrosis, cancer development, and adaptation to pregnancy. More recently, her work has uncovered autoimmune mechanisms underlying podocytopathies and led to the development of innovative molecular diagnostic tools for the precision diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases.
Professor Romagnani has published more than 280 papers in leading international journals, including Science , Science Translational Medicine , Nature Communications , Nature Reviews Immunology , Nature Reviews Nephrology , Nature Reviews Disease Primers , JCI , Blood , JASN , and Kidney International . Her work has received more than 35,000 citations (H-index 98). She has served on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and Kidney International , delivered more than 400 invited lectures worldwide, and has been awarded ERC Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced Grants. In 2020, she received the ERA Award for Outstanding Basic Science Contributions to Nephrology.
Professor Romagnani comments, “ I am truly honored to receive the ISN Alfred Newton Richards Award. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of many outstanding collaborators and reinforces the importance of curiosity-driven research in transforming our understanding of kidney biology and translating new discoveries into better care for patients.”
Professor Romagnani will be presented with her award in one of the plenary sessions at WCN’27.
László Rosivall – the Roscoe Robinson Award
The Roscoe R. Robinson Award acknowledges outstanding achievements in education in nephrology and medicine. This year’s winner, László Rosivall , is the founder and president of the International Nephrology Research and Training Center in the Institute of Translational Medicine at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary, and professor emeritus of Semmelweis University.
Professor Rosivall’s life is dedicated to the development of nephrology from molecules to bedside by educating a new generation of skillful nephrologists. He has supervised and mentored 32 PhD students; many of his students are already nephrologists, PhDs, DScs, and professors in Hungary and around the world leading recognized departments.
Professor Rosivall is founder and president of the Hungarian Kidney Foundation and Budapest Nephrology School, past president of Semmelweis University and the Hungarian Nephrological Society, founder and past president of Semmelweis PhD School on Nephrology, initiator of World Kidney Day, Gypsy Medical Education Program, and Sign Language Education at Semmelweis University. He is a Széchenyi and Khwarizmi awards laureate, member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, honorary doctor of University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Targu-Mures, and honorary member of the Polish Nephrological Society.
Professor Rosivall’s major research interests cover kidney hemodynamics, renin-angiotensin system, and kidney fibrosis from molecules to bedside. He brought research experiences from Bergen, Birmingham, Harvard, Montpellier, Heidelberg, and Tulane Universities. He is editor-in-chief of Physiology International and serves on editorial boards of 16 peer-reviewed journals. He has published 224 articles, 91 chapters, 5 textbooks, 2 patents, over 15000 citations, and Hirsch-index 42.
Professor Rosivall has established Ignaz Semmelweis as an ambassador of Hungarian science by the installation of artistic bronze statues worldwide. He has coordinated the installation of 27 statues in 20 countries across 4 continents to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Semmelweis’s birth.
Professor Rosivall states, “I had the privilege of knowing the late Roscoe Robinson, and I am deeply honored to accept the award that bears his name.”
Professor Rosivall will be presented with his award in one of the plenary sessions at WCN’27.
Feng Qian – the Lillian Jean Kaplan Prize for polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
The Lillian Jean Kaplan Prize recognizes individuals for excellence and leadership in PKD clinical or basic research whose seminal scientific work has advanced PKD knowledge and treatment. This year’s winner, Feng Qian , is a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Dr. Qian is an internationally recognized leader in PKD research whose work over more than 25 years has helped define how the proteins most closely linked to inherited forms of PKD function, interact, and contribute to cyst formation, providing a stronger foundation for mechanism-based approaches to treatment. In addition, his development and sharing of specialized reagents and technical resources have strengthened the global PKD research community.
Dr. Qian comments, “ I am deeply honored and humbled to receive the Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize. This recognition reflects the collective efforts of many outstanding colleagues, trainees, collaborators, and patients whose contributions have advanced our understanding of polycystic kidney disease. While significant progress has been made, important challenges remain. I look forward to continuing the pursuit of discoveries that deepen our understanding of PKD and ultimately improve the lives of patients and families affected by this disease .”
Dr. Qian will receive the prize and deliver a scientific talk during the ISN-PKD session at WCN’27.
The ISN Pioneer Awards apply to individuals from non-high-income countries and honor the ‘unsung heroes’ of nephrology: doctors who have made extraordinary efforts to advance nephrology in a specific country or region.
Gloria Enow Ashuntantang-Some is a consultant nephrologist at the Yaoundé General Hospital and professor of medicine at the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon. She is currently the dean of the faculty of health sciences of the University of Bamenda in Cameroon, the north west regional coordinator of the Cameroon higher national diploma examination and was recently appointed the pro-chancellor of the University of Buea in Cameroon.
Professor Ashuntantang-Some is holder of the MB; BS degree (University of Ibadan, Nigeria), certificate of specialisation in internal medicine (University of Yaounde I), diplôme de médecin spécialiste en néphrologie and an MD (University of Geneva, Switzerland). Her main area of research is chronic kidney disease care in sub-Saharan Africa. She was the first head of the nephrology specialisation program in Cameroon and has trained over 25 nephrologists in Cameroon and the Central African Republic. She has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers and three textbook chapters.
Professor Ashuntantang-Some is the founding president of the Cameroon Nephrology Society, first female and past president of the African Association of Nephrology (AFRAN), past deputy-chair and chair of the ISN Africa Regional Board, past member of the ISN Executive Committee, past member of the KDIGO Executive Committee, and the immediate past vice president of the Cameroon Medical Council. She is a distinguished fellow of the European Renal Association, Knight of the Cameroon Order of Valour, and Officer of the Cameroon Order of Valour.
Professor Ashuntantang-Some states, “Thank you ISN. You have not only been the driving force for my growth in nephrology, but you have made nephrology known and felt in Africa.”
Rümeyza Kazancıoğlu is a professor of nephrology at Bezmialem Vakıf University in Istanbul, Türkiye, with an internationally recognized career in clinical nephrology, academic leadership, and global kidney health.
Following her medical degree, Professor Kazancıoğlu completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in nephrology at Istanbul University School of Medicine, Türkiye. She undertook advanced transplant training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Texas, USA, as an ISN Fellow in 2000. On her return to Türkiye, she established the nephrology clinic and fellowship program at Haseki Training and Research Hospital before joining Bezmialem Vakıf University, where she served as vice dean and later as rector from 2015 to 2025.
Professor Kazancıoğlu contributed to the ISN as council member (2016-2021), chair of the ISN Eastern and Central Europe Regional Board (2015-2021), and chair of the Fellowship Committee, promoting nephrology education and capacity building worldwide. Her research focuses on chronic kidney disease, peritoneal dialysis, and disaster nephrology, with particular emphasis on improving kidney care during humanitarian crises.
Professor Kazancıoğlu has authored more than 100 SCI-indexed publications, numerous book chapters, and hundreds of scientific presentations. She continues to advance nephrology through education, research, international collaboration, and leadership in professional organizations dedicated to improving kidney health nationally and internationally.
Professor Kazancıoğlu comments, “I am very excited and honored to receive the Pioneer Award. This gives me the enthusiasm to pursue my dedication to improving nephrology education and kidney healthcare both nationally and internationally.”
Hercilio Alexandre da Luz Filho is a Brazilian nephrologist and administrator at Centro de Tratamento de Doenças Renais (CTDR) de Joinville Ltda., in Joinville-SC, Brazil.
Dr. da Luz Filho’s career has been marked by his commitment to improving kidney care and expanding access to kidney replacement therapy. After completing his medical training, he specialized in nephrology at Hospital da Lagoa, Rio de Janeiro, where he developed a strong clinical and academic foundation. In 1985, he co-founded CTDR, one of the pioneering dialysis services in southern Brazil, followed by the establishment of Fundação Pró-Rim in 1987, a non-profit institution dedicated to excellence in nephrology, dialysis, kidney transplantation support, education, and research. As president of Fundação Pró-Rim from 2008 to 2015, he led initiatives that strengthened patient care, expanded clinical services, and promoted professional training.
Dr. da Luz Filho has been recognized for combining clinical excellence with visionar