Bryan Kestenbaum named inaugural Utterberg Endowed Chair in Nephrology in Honor of Dr. Rajnish Mehrotra
Dr. Bryan Kestenbaum, professor (Nephrology) has been appointed the inaugural holder of the David S. and Nayda Utterberg Endowed Chair in Nephrology in Honor of Dr. Rajnish Mehrotra.
Bryan Kestenbaum
Kestenbaum joined the faculty in the Division of Nephrology in 2003 and rose through the ranks to become a full professor in 2015. He is internationally recognized for research focused on the metabolic effects of kidney disease. He began his career investigating mineral metabolism and bone disease and has expanded his work to study tubular secretory clearance and acute kidney injury.
He has also served as an incredible research mentor to numerous trainees both within and outside Nephrology. Many of his mentees have gone on to lead independent research programs, with several earning international recognition.
Kestenbaum is co-principal investigator of the new University of Washington U2C/TL-1 Training Program in Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases, which funds and supports nine trainees each year. He directs the Research Methods course for the UW School of Medicine and has adapted a similar curriculum for the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. He is also the author of a textbook on epidemiology and biostatistics.
Continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for nearly two decades, Kestenbaum typically holds between two and four R-level grants at a time. He received the Department of Medicine’s prestigious Fialkow Award in 2009 and was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 2013.
"Since 2024, Bryan has held the David S. and Nayda Utterberg Endowed Professorship," said Dr. Rajnish Mehrotra, professor and head (Nephrology). "We are thrilled that he will now hold the Chair."
Endowed Chair
The new endowed chair was made possible through the generous support of Nayda Utterberg and her late husband, David Utterberg, and named in recognition of the excellent care provided to Mr. Utterberg by Dr. Mehrotra.
A talented inventor and manufacturer, David founded Medisystems Corporation in San Francisco in 1981. His groundbreaking work in blood treatment and medical safety devices led to more than 100 U.S. and foreign patents. His notable contributions to end-stage renal disease treatment included the StreamLine blood tubing and MasterGuard safety needle products.
His relentless pursuit of excellence significantly changed the medical field and positively impacted the lives of healthcare professionals and patients worldwide.
Between 1981 and 2007, he served as CEO, president, and sole stockholder of Medisystems Corporation and Lifestream Medical Corporation. He also served as a director of NxStage Medical from 1998 to 2013. A passionate art collector, David had a deep appreciation for East Asian art. Unfortunately, David passed away in 2019. Nayda is committed to carrying out his legacy to support research and innovation.
"Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kestenbaum on this well-deserved appointment and in thanking the Utterbergs for their remarkable generosity to the Division of Nephrology," Mehrotra said.