Loyola's Holly Kramer, MD, Chosen to Lead National Kidney Foundation

MAYWOOD, IL – Holly Kramer, MD, MPH, a kidney specialist and nationally known kidney disease researcher at Loyola University Chicago and Loyola Medicine, has been named president-elect of the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.

Dr. Kramer will assume leadership in October 2018, succeeding prominent Johns Hopkins nephrologist Michael J. Choi, MD.

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is the largest, most comprehensive and longstanding organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease.

"I am both honored and energized by this opportunity to serve the people affected by kidney disease, address kidney health issues on a broad scale, advocate for patients and maintain the high standards of public service set by the National Kidney Foundation," Dr. Kramer said.

Dr. Kramer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in the Department of Medicine of Loyola Medicine.

Dr. Kramer's research interests include the effects of nutrition and obesity on kidney disease and genetic variants of kidney disease. She is interested in the intersection of kidney disease and cardiovascular disease and has published articles discussing how the western diet influences kidney disease. She also led a landmark study that found that intensive treatment to lower systolic (top number) blood pressure to below 120 would save more than 100,000 lives per year in the United States.

Dr. Kramer has long been active in the NKF. She is a member of the foundation's Scientific Advisory Board and is vice chair of the foundation's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative.

“Dr. Kramer’s distinguished professional achievements in the area of kidney health, her substantial service to the NKF, her dedication and compassion to patients with kidney disease and her commitment to advancing public awareness of kidney disease will advance our mission to improve the lives of patients with kidney disease," Dr. Choi said.

Dr. Kramer earned her medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in internal medicine and was chief resident at Emory University School of Medicine. She completed a fellowship in nephrology at Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which is affiliated with Harvard University Medical School.

Dr. Kramer is board certified in nephrology. She sees patients at the Loyola Outpatient Center in Maywood.