Presidential Address, American Society of Nephrology Annual Meeting, 2006: Chronic Kidney Disease as a Public Health Threat—New Strategy for a Growing Problem

O n behalf of the officers and council of the American Society of Nephrology, our dedicated professional staff, and members of the Program Committee, I welcome you to the 39th annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). The program that is about to be launched is a result of the talent and perseverance of the outstanding chair of the 2006 Annual Meeting Program Committee, Dr. Lisa Guay-Woodford, and the innovative and conscientious members of the Program Committee. The theme they have chosen for this program conveys recognition of the immense potential for rapid advances in the field of nephrology through translational investigation. The program highlights major advances in biomedical and clinical sciences. Expect a glimpse into the future toward what can be accomplished. As president, this year it has been my privilege to work very closely with a dedicated and responsible ASN Council and with our extraordinarily devoted professional staff, led by Karen Campbell, our executive director, and Robert Fulcher, chief operating officer. This group is responsible for most of what the society accomplishes during the year. All of us are indebted to the members of our board of advisors, made up of ASN advisory groups and committees for their effort on behalf of the society. While this has been an exceptional year in many respects, unfortunately, the last year was not without great loss. Several prominent members died this year and include, Mackenzie Walser in November; Louis Tobian, a recipient of the Peters Award in 1990, died in September, and Nancy Gary, founding president of Women in Nephrology, died in May. Our dear friend and colleague Norman Siegel died suddenly in April. Dr. Siegel served as president of the ASN in 2002 and of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology in 1989. As president of the ASN, Norm’s contributions resulted in a more effective organization and one that better serves its members. To commemorate his service and example, the ASN Council has designated one of our Career Development Awards in his honor. The first ASN-ASPN Norman Siegel Career Development Grant is awarded this year to a pediatric nephrologist, Fangming Lin. I refer you to the on-site publication ASN Highlights for a detailed president’s report. Let me review a few of the high points of our activities this year.