LaTonya J. Hickson

LaTonya J. Hickson, M.D., is a Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Division of Nephrology & Hypertension in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. She is also a Consultant in the same division, with a clinical and research focus on improving patient outcomes in chronic kidney disease, hypertension, dialysis, and kidney transplantation.

• Primary Appointment: Consultant, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension
• Administrative Appointment: Chair, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension
• Academic Rank: Professor of Medicine
• Institution: Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
• School: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science

Dr. Hickson earned her M.D. from the University of Louisville School of Medicine and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. She completed her Nephrology fellowship and residency training at Mayo Clinic's School of Graduate Medical Education.

• BS: South Carolina State University (1998)
• MD: University of Louisville School of Medicine (2002)
• Residency: Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (2005)
• Fellowship: Nephrology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine (2008)

Her research focuses on patient-important outcomes such as hospitalizations, death, kidney function recovery, and progression to kidney failure. Key areas include stem cell therapy for chronic kidney disease, the transition to dialysis, predictive modeling of adverse events in dialysis patients, and outcomes in kidney transplantation, including recurrent glomerular disease. She aims to translate regenerative therapies into clinical practice through innovative research.

Dr. Hickson leads the Translational and Regenerative Nephrology Research Laboratory and is Co-Director of the Mayo Regenerative Nephrology and Kidney Transplant CME course. She is also actively involved in health care delivery science and patient-centered outcomes research.

Her scientific contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including:

• 2024 Woman in Translational Science, Mayo RegenBio Summit
• 2021 Outstanding Research Award-Consultant, Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine
• 2016 New Investigator Award, Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine
• 2014 Health Care Delivery Scholar, Kern Center
• 2011 Top Educator, Internal Medicine Residency Program
• 2008 Outstanding Clinical Fellow Award, Mayo Clinic

Dr. Hickson is a dedicated mentor and educator, serving on the MD-PhD Program Committee, as Associate Chair for Research and Innovation in the Florida Department of Medicine, and as a mentor in national programs. She has led multiple quality improvement and research initiatives and is a principal investigator in translational nephrology research. Her work is supported by institutional and national recognition, including fellowship in the American Society of Nephrology and the American College of Physicians.

She is actively involved in several research centers and teams, including the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics, the Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, the Mayo Regenerative Nephrology Research Unit, and the Non-Cancer Cellular Therapy Team. She also serves on national data safety monitoring boards for NIH-funded studies in diabetic kidney disease and acute kidney injury.