This year, ANIO Award for Clinical Excellence goes to Dr. Tushar Vachharajani.
Dr Tushar J. Vachharajani currently serves as Chair of Medicine and Associate Chief of Staff at the VA Medical Center, and Vice Chair in the Department of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan.

A graduate of Grant Medical College, Mumbai, Dr. Vachharajani  completed postgraduate nephrology training in India (1989–1992) and at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London (1994–1996). He subsequently moved to the United States to complete a clinical fellowship in nephrology and an additional research fellowship in molecular biology and cell physiology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans (1996–1999). He went on to complete internal medicine residency (1999–2000) and a fellowship in interventional nephrology (2001) at the same institution, setting the stage for a career that puts clinical service leadership at the forefront.

Prior to his current leadership position, he has held leadership positions as Nephrology Service Chief, then at the VA in Shreveport, Louisiana, Acting Chief of Medicine Service and Chief, Nephrology Service at the VA in Salisbury, North Carolina, and Director of Interventional Nephrology and Global Nephrology, at Cleveland Clinic. 

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Vachharajani  has exemplified leadership through service, education, and research. His expertise in interventional nephrology has been nationally recognized and

internationally disseminated.  The impact of his educational activities has been enormous: by teaching nephrologists on access and dialysis related topics including conducting workshops all over the world he has facilitated transmission of that knowledge to future generations of nephrologists in addition to improving dialysis care by these physicians! It is not an exaggeration to state that thousands of CKD patients have benefited from his efforts. In recognition of excellence in teaching and education, he received of the prestigious Roscoe R Robinson Award of the ISN in 2021.

Dr. Vachharajani has also held leadership roles in the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology (ASDIN)—including service as Councilor (2013–2019), Chair of the International Committee (2010–2018), and Co-Chair of the Annual Meeting (2013). He has also contributed to the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) as a member of the Interventional Nephrology Advisory Group (2012–2016), and advised the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on quality improvement initiatives such as the Fistula First Breakthrough Clinical Task Force (2008–2016).

Internationally, Dr. Vachharajani ’s leadership within the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) has been transformative. He has served as Chair of the Education Committee (2009–2021), Chair of the Interventional Nephrology Committee (2013–2019), Councilor (2017–2019), and currently as Deputy Chair and incoming Chair of the Core Programs Committee (2022–2025). He has also contributed to KDIGO guideline panels on dialysis-related topics (2013, 2018). He serves on editorial boards of leading journals including Kidney International Reports, Journal of Vascular Access, ISN Academy, and Indian Journal of Nephrology, and has contributed to major nephrology textbooks and e-learning tools.

Congrats to Dr.Vachharajani.

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