Glenda Roberts recognized for work in kidney health

ASN President’s Medal

Glenda Roberts received a President’s Medal from the American Society for Nephrology for her commitment to educating others who live with kidney disease. It is the highest honor the society can bestow.

The medal recognizes individuals who have made contributions, broadly defined, to the kidney community, and who are unlikely to be eligible for ASN’s other five awards. As a result, members of Congress, patients, and other advocates have received the ASN President’s Medal in the past.

“Glenda’s influence as a national leader advocating for people living with kidney disease in every forum imaginable, is truly remarkable,” said Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb, Founding Director of the Kidney Research Institute and Co-Director of the Center for Dialysis Innovation. “She has also been a great advocate for addressing the racial-ethnic disparities in kidney disease, and a lack of diversity in the kidney disease workforce, especially in physicians. So this is a wonderful and fully deserved honor. ”

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U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Award

The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP), the nation’s largest independent kidney patient organization, today announced the names of patients and advocates who have been specially recognized by President Joseph R. Biden with U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (PVSAs). The highly competitive and non-partisan national award recognizes the exceptional contributions of AAKP volunteers to both the organization and the wider kidney community. AAKP is a driver behind greater national and global patient care choice and access to new therapies to delay disease progression, stop kidney failure, and increase kidney transplantation, including pre-emptive transplants, wider utilization of home dialysis, and the rapid development of safe, artificial implantable and wearable organs.

Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb, founding director of the KRI, and Glenda Roberts, director of external relations and patient engagement for the Kidney Research Institute, have been recognized by President Joseph R. Biden with U.S. Presidential Volunteer Service Awards.

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Accelerate Innovation Spokesperson

Ms. Roberts was selected as the 2022 – 2023 Accelerate Innovation spokesperson for United 4 Kidney Health.  United 4 Kidney Health is an awareness-building initiative led by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) to educate nephrologists, other kidney health professionals, and scientists about the dramatic changes and new opportunities taking place in kidney care, research, and education, and enhance their professional development, and training.