Dena Rifkin

Dr. Dena Rifkin is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. Her research focuses on nephrology, geriatrics, and chronic kidney disease (CKD), with an emphasis on hypertension management, aging populations, and cardiovascular outcomes in renal patients. She leads NIH-funded studies such as Self-management of Blood Pressure Medication for Hypertensive Veterans (NIH I01HX002109) and Ambulatory BP and Kidney Function in Older Adults (NIH K23DK091521).

Dr. Rifkin’s education includes an MD from Yale School of Medicine (2001) and an MS in Epidemiology from Tufts University (2005). Her work spans clinical trials, biomarker discovery, and patient-centered care, particularly in older adults with CKD and comorbidities. She has over 200 publications in top journals like JAMA, Lancet Neurology, and Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Her research interests integrate geriatric principles with nephrology, addressing frailty, cognitive decline in CKD patients, and disparities in kidney care. She collaborates with teams at UCSD’s Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute and networks with national experts in CKD epidemiology and therapeutics.