Kunihiro Matsushita, MD, PhD is a Professor at Johns Hopkins University with dual appointments at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and School of Medicine. He holds a primary affiliation with the Department of Epidemiology, specifically within the Cardiovascular and Clinical Epidemiology division. Dr. Matsushita also maintains significant affiliations with the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research and serves as Director of the Data Coordinating Center for the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium (CKD-PC), which comprises over 70 cohorts totaling approximately 11 million individuals worldwide. Dr. Matsushita earned his MD in 1998 and PhD in 2007, both from Nagoya University in Japan. His academic journey began with clinical experience as an interventional cardiologist, which shaped his early research interests in diabetes as a key risk factor for coronary heart disease and its antecedent, obesity. Since joining Johns Hopkins, he has expanded his research to include kidney-related aspects, particularly investigating the complex associations among kidney disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease using the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study and the CKD Prognosis Consortium. Dr. Matsushita's research program focuses on bridging medicine and epidemiological research to establish evidence that can improve treatment and prevention of cardiovascular and kidney diseases. His work spans multiple areas including cardiovascular epidemiology, chronic kidney disease prognosis, peripheral artery disease, hypertension, diabetes complications, and risk prediction modeling. He has made significant contributions to understanding how kidney function metrics relate to cardiovascular outcomes across diverse populations. Analysis of Dr. Matsushita's recent publications reveals a strong focus on the intersection of kidney and cardiovascular disease. His research employs large-scale meta-analyses of individual participant data across multiple international cohorts, with particular emphasis on glomerular filtration rate, albuminuria, and their relationship to cardiovascular outcomes. Recent work has expanded into novel areas including arterial stiffness, artificial intelligence applications in kidney disease management, and the impact of modifiable risk factors like smoking and dietary protein on kidney and cardiovascular health. Honors & Awards: American College of Physician Membership (2005) Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (2007) Best Reviewers of the Year 2012 of the Annals of Internal Medicine (2013) Japanese Society of Interventional Cardiology Clinical Research Award (2004) Aichi Foundation for Diabetes, Rheumatic Disease and Gout Research Grant (2005) Takao Fund Travel Award (2006) Early Career Travel Award from the American Heart Association (2009) The Aoyama-Kita Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (2009) Early Career Best Science Award at AHA Scientific Sessions (2013) The Sandra Daugherty Award for Excellence in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (2014) Golden Apple Award for Teaching from JHSPH (2019) Dr. Matsushita's leadership extends to major collaborative projects including the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort (CRIC) Study, research on weight loss with bariatric surgery and vascular changes, and national trend analyses of critical limb ischemia hospitalizations. His work with the CKD Prognosis Consortium represents one of the largest international collaborative efforts in kidney disease epidemiology, providing critical evidence for clinical guidelines worldwide.







