This workshop took place virtually on March 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET and explored how emerging kidney biomarkers and integrated data approaches can improve the detection, interpretation, and management of kidney disease.
The workshop was organized into three focused acts followed by a live Q&A session moderated by Gary Friedman, MD (BmDR Co-Chair, Retired Pharmaceutical Industry Executive):
Act 1 – Patient Perspectives: Understanding Biomarkers in Kidney Care (Glenda Roberts, BmDR Co-Chair, Director, Communications and Patient Engagement: Mount Sinai Center for Kidney Disease Innovation; Icahn School of Medicine, and Richard Knight, Adjunct Professor at Bowie State University)
This session focuses on how biomarker information can be presented and understood from a patient perspective. Using examples of simulated biomarker results in patient portals, speakers explore strategies for communicating results clearly and meaningfully to patients, including improved patient-facing reports and educational resources.
Act 2 – Expert Perspectives: Clinical Interpretation and Adjudication (Joseph Bonventre, Chief Emeritus, Brigham & Women’s Hospital; Professor, Harvard School of Medicine)
Clinicians provided clinical interpretation and adjudication of biomarker data, including lessons from biomarker qualification efforts and clinical vignettes demonstrating how patients will benefit from routine use of urinary biomarkers.
Act 3 – The Future is Now: Integrating Biomarkers and Advanced Data (Jonathan Himmelfarb, Professor of Medicine, Co-Director of the Center for Kidney Disease Innovation (CKDi), and Ashveena Dighe, Director of Operations, MS-CKDi, Director, KPMP Central Hub Administrative Core)
The final session highlighted how pooled datasets and advanced molecular insights—such as single-cell and molecular mapping data—are helping deepen understanding of kidney disease and may support more precise diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment decisions.
Together, these sessions fostered dialogue and identified opportunities to advance the use of biomarkers and integrated data to support more informed, personalized kidney care.
