Sabahat Afshan

Dr. Sabahat Afshan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), School of Medicine. She serves as Interim Chief of Pediatric Nephrology, Director of Pediatric Dialysis, and Director of Pediatric Transplant, with board certification in general pediatrics and pediatric nephrology.

Her educational background includes:

• MBBS from Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan (1998)
• Pediatrics residency at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY (2011)
• Pediatric Nephrology fellowship at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN (2014)

Dr. Afshan's research centers on glomerular disorders, lupus nephritis, chronic kidney disease, and dialysis complications. Her work addresses hypertensive urgency in pediatric amputees, hyperammonemia management, and congenital kidney anomalies. She has pioneered studies on potassium-sparing diuretics for hypokalemia in dialysis patients and plasmapheresis applications in severe infections.

Recent publications reveal trends in pediatric nephrology: obesity-related cardiometabolic risks (2025), long-term eculizumab outcomes for thrombotic microangiopathy (2023), and rare dialysis complications (2020). Her research bridges clinical challenges in lupus nephritis, dialysis technical innovations, and transplant management.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Most Promising Award for Outstanding Junior Faculty in Pediatrics (UMMC, 2019)
• ASN Travel Support Award (2012)
• American Society of Transplant Travel Grant (2012)

As M4 Course Director for Pediatric Nephrology, she mentors medical students and residents through case management sessions and specialized lectures. Her grant portfolio spans industry-funded trials on cinacalcet for hyperparathyroidism (Amgen), adrenal-ACTH for nephrotic syndrome (Mallinckrodt), and intramural lupus nephritis research.

She chairs the Pediatric Transplant Selection Committee and leads the Interdisciplinary Care Committee, while organizing Mississippi Kidney Foundation events for children with kidney disease.