Vasantha Jotwani

Vasantha Jotwani, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, and a clinician-investigator at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Her research focuses on kidney disease, particularly identifying early-stage kidney injury through urinary biomarkers and mitochondrial health. She leads a NIH-funded R01 investigating mitochondrial health and cardiovascular risk in hypertensive adults and a NIDDK-funded K23 award studying drug-induced nephrotoxicity in HIV-positive and -negative individuals.

Education:

• BS in Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University (2003)
• M.D., Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (2008)
• Internal Medicine Residency and Chief Residency, UCSF (2009-2012)
• Clinical Fellowship in Nephrology, UCSF (2014)

Research Interests:

Her work emphasizes biomarker development for kidney tubular dysfunction, with contributions to understanding HIV-associated nephrotoxicity and pre-exposure prophylaxis effects. She co-leads studies on mitochondrial health in acute/chronic kidney diseases and exercise interventions' impact on kidney function. Key areas include SPRINT trial analyses linking tubular biomarkers to cardiovascular outcomes and CKD progression.

Grants & Awards:

• NHLBI R01 HL151564 (2021-2025)
• NIDDK K23 DK109868 (2016-2021)

Clinical Roles:

Clinical nephrologist at UCSF Parnassus and SFVA Medical Centers, managing inpatient consults, outpatient care, and dialysis for end-stage kidney disease patients. Serves as SFVAMC Site Director for UCSF Nephrology Fellowship, overseeing educational programs and wellness initiatives launched in 2021.

Labs/Teams: Active in the UCSF Kidney Health Research Collaborative, collaborating on biomarker panels and interventional studies.