Fellowship Details & Requirements
Kidney complications, because of cancer or its treatment, are becoming increasingly more prevalent in our population. Treatments for these onco-nephrology conditions are changing rapidly, and exciting new advances in basic and clinical research offer a promise of even more effective therapies to come.
As a research-intensive section in the Internal Medicine division, our faculty, fellows, and staff provide state-of-the-art clinical care for patients with kidney diseases and generate new knowledge with the ultimate goals of improving our understanding and treatment of these diseases. The research is fostered by several NIH-funded grants. We also teach onco-nephrology to medical students, residents, and fellows, while training the next generation of Onco-Nephrologists through our outstanding Onco-Nephrology Fellowship.
Under the direction of Farhad Danesh, M.D., the Section of Nephrology includes nine clinical faculty members and three research faculty members. In 2014, the Section of Nephrology established and received approval (TMB 503-19-45-67) for the first Onco-Nephrology Fellowship Program. The program was approved as a 1- to 2-year fellowship for two trainees per year. Twelve fellows have since completed the program.
Eligibility, Prerequisites & Application Process
Our GME office has preliminary eligibility requirements that all prospective trainees must meet before applying for a training program at our institution. In addition to these criteria, this program requires all applicants to:
- Hold either a M.D./D.O. degree or foreign equivalent along with a valid certificate from Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
- Have a USMLE Step I and USMLE Step II CK, SPEX, or COMLEX exam transcript as part of a minimum list of documents.
To be considered for appointment, the following must be received:
- Curriculum vitae
- An accredited fellowship program in Nephrology
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official Medical School Transcript
- Letters of Good Standing from current clinical training program
- Certificates from all completed internship, residency or fellowship training programs
- ECFMG certificate, if applicable
- Licensure Exam Transcripts
- Credential evaluation of foreign medical school transcript(s)
*All documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by certified English translation.
Interested applicants should send their CV, personal statement and 3 letters of recommendation to:
Lauren Sutton, LMSutton1@mdanderson.org.
After reviewing the applications, selected candidates will be contacted via email to schedule an interview with our faculty.
Program Goals & Objectives
Onco-Nephrology is an emerging medical subspecialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of renal disease in cancer patients.
Objectives:
- Nephrotoxicity from traditional chemotherapy as well as targeted therapy
- Renal disease after stem cell transplant
- Myeloma-related kidney disease
- Paraneoplastic renal disease
- Electrolyte disorders secondary to cancer or cancer therapy
Program Structure & Curriculum
Onco-nephrology is an emerging medical subspecialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of renal disease in cancer patients. Although kidney disease is very common in cancer patients, most nephrology trainees have little exposure to renal syndromes that are unique to patients with cancer, being caused either by the cancer itself or by its treatment.
Training in Onco-nephrology provides experience in the management of:
- Nephrotoxicity from traditional chemotherapy as well as targeted therapy
- Renal disease after stem cell transplant
- Myeloma-related kidney disease
- Paraneoplastic renal disease
- Electrolyte disorders secondary to cancer or cancer therapy
Additional experience would be gained in Critical Care Nephrology and renal replacement therapy. Furthermore, the fellow will gain valuable experience in the psychosocial aspects of renal replacement therapy during “near” end-of-life care. Cases that are rare in standard nephrology fellowship training programs are commonly seen by the Section of Nephrology at UT MD Anderson. After the completion of one year of training, the fellow is expected to be knowledgeable about appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to cancer patients who present with renal complications.
The fellowship will be composed of nine months of clinical duties and three months devoted to research. Clinical duties will include six months providing care on the inpatient consult service and 3 months of clinical elective as well as outpatient clinic exposure. Research may be bench-driven or clinical as deemed most appropriate by the fellow and program director. The goal will be to complete an abstract and/or manuscript by the end of the fellowship. An optional second year of fellowship may be pursued if mutually agreed upon by the fellow and program director. The reason for the additional year is to provide an option for trainees who want to have further clinical training or to have more time for research.
The Onco-Nephrology Fellowship Program is approved by the UT MD Anderson Graduate Medical Education Committee and the Texas Medical Board. This program is not accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) but adheres to ACGME’s guidelines.
Trainee Success & Program Outcomes
Ahmad Al Masry, M.D.
2025-2026
Ahmad Al Masry, M.D., received his medical degree from Beirut Arab University in Lebanon. He completed his internal medicine residency as well as a research fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. He then pursued his Nephrology Fellowship at the University of Iowa Hospital, where he served as Chief Nephrology Fellow, and was nominated twice for the Best Fellow of the Year award. After completing his fellowship, Al Masry carried his specialized onco-nephrology expertiseto a large private practice nephrology group in Kansas.
Juan Jose Cintrón-García, M.D.
2024-2025
Juan Jose Cintrón-García, M.D., received his medical degree from Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara in Mexico and completed his internal medicine residency at Damas Hospital/Ponce Health Sciences University in Puerto Rico. He pursued multiple fellowships in Transfusion Medicine, Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Geriatric Medicine, and most recently completed his Nephrology fellowship at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. Cintrón-García envisions Onco-Nephrology as the culmination of his diverse training, where all his extensive background converges, and is passionate about growing in this emerging field. His academic interests include the immunologic basis of diseases and the renal adverse effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Upon completing his onco-nephrology fellowship, Cintrón-García joined Rush University Medical Center as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Onco-Nephrology Clinic.
Nada Youssef, M.D.
2024-2025
Nada Youssef, M.D., is an assistant professor of Nephrology at UT MD Anderson. She earned her medical degree from Beirut Arab University in Lebanon and completed her internal medicine residency at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, where she also served as Chief Resident. She went on to complete a fellowship in Nephrology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, followed by an advanced fellowship in onco nephrology at UT MD Anderson. Youssef's research focuses on immune checkpoint inhibitor-related nephritis and tyrosine kinase inhibitor induced nephrotoxicity. In addition to her clinical and research work, she has a strong interest in medical education and mentorship.
Kiran Shivaraj, M.B.B.S.
2023-2024
Kiran Shivaraj, M.B.B.S., received his medical degree from Kasturba Medical College and pursued internal medicine residency training at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center. He subsequently completed a fellowship in Nephrology at Westchester Medical Center in New York. Presently, Shivaraj is completing his fellowship in transplant Nephrology at The University of Miami.
Anna-Eve Turcotte, M.D.
2021-2022
Anna-Eve Turcotte, M.D., is on faculty at Université de Sherbrooke in Canada, where she also did her renal fellowship before training in Onco-Nephrology at UT MD Anderson. She is the first trained Onco-Nephrologist at her academic hospital.
Praveen Ratanasrimetha, M.D.
2021-2022
Praveen Ratanasrimetha, M.D., is currently an Attending at a top teaching hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. He did a renal fellowship at University of Pittsburgh before joining the UT MD Anderson Onco-Nephrology program. He is the first trained Onco-Nephrologist in Asia.
Harini Bejjanki, M.D.
2020 - 2021
Harini Bejjanki, M.D., is currently in private practice in Houston, TX. She attended the MNR Medical College in Fasalwadi, India, completed her postgraduate training in internal medicine at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan and her nephrology fellowship at the University of Florida.
Omar Mamlouk, M.B.B.S.
2019 - 2020
Omar Mamlouk, M.B.B.S., joined the section of Nephrology’s faculty in December 2020. He attended the Jordan University of Science and Technology and completed his postgraduate training at Harvard Medical School and the University of Texas – McGovern Medical School. Mamlouk’s clinical areas of interest include: onco-nephrology, immunotherapy nephrotoxicity (check point inhibitor and CAR-T cell), stem cell related thrombotic microangiopathy. His main research area is studying the epidemiology and treatment of checkpoint inhibitor related nephrotoxicity.
Jamie Lin, M.D.
2017 - 2019
Jamie Lin, M.D., is an Assistant Professor and physician-scientist at UT MD Anderson. Lin received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005 and her M.D. from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine in 2010. She completed residency training in Internal Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in 2013 and her Nephrology fellowship as a NIH T32 and F32 scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2017, Lin was awarded the Sharon Anderson Research Fellowship from ASN and joined UT MD Anderson as an Onco-nephrology fellow. Her QI project, DARRT (dose adjustment for renal replacement therapy), was selected for UT MD Anderson’s Commission on Cancer Standards. Lin is a recipient of the NIH K08 award, the Division of Internal Medicine Immuno-Oncology Toxicity award and the UT MD Anderson Institutional Research Grant. Her research interests are in (1) podocyte biology and diabetic kidney disease and (2) immune checkpoint inhibitor associated nephrotoxicity.
Umut Selamet, M.D.
2016 - 2017
Umut Selamet, M.D., is currently an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Medical School and an Onco-Nephrologist at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston. She graduated from Istanbul University in 2000 and completed her postgraduate felowship training at the University of California, San Diego in 2016. Following her Onco-Nephrology training at UT MD Anderson, she served as the Director of the Onco-Nephrology Program at the UCLA prior to her current position.
Jaya Kala, M.D.
2015 - 2016
Jaya Kala, M.D. currently is an Assistant Professor and Chair of Onco-Nephrology at the University of Texas Health Science Center - McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX. Kala also enjoys a joint appointment with Section of Nephrology at UT MD Anderson. She attended the Lady Hardinge Medical College, University of Delhi, India and completed her postgraduate training at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Texas - McGovern Medical School. Kala has received the 2019 NFK Young Investigator Research Grant Award, Southeast Texas Research Grant and is the Principal Investigator: Isosorbide Mononitrate for Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Induced Kidney Injury.
Fellow & Faculty Publications
Sheldon Chen, M.D.
Kitchlu, A, Silva, VE, Anand, S, Kala, J, Abudayyeh, A, Inker, L, Rosner, M, Karam, S, Gudsoorkar, P, Gupta, S, Chen, S, Klomjit, N, Leung, N, Milanez, T, Motwani, SS, Khalid, SB, Srinivasan, V, Wanchoo, R, Beumer, JH, Liu, G, Tannir, NM, Orchanian-Cheff, A, Geng, Y, Herrmann, SM. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Published: 2024 Aug 01; 19(8):1073-1077. PMID: 39316409 PMCID: PMC11321741.
Kitchlu A, Costa E Silva VT, Anand S, Kala J, Abudayyeh A, Inker LA, Rosner MH, Karam S, Gudsoorkar P, Gupta S, Chen S, Klomjit N, Leung N, Milanez T, Motwani SS, Khalid SB, Srinivasan V, Wanchoo R, Beumer JH, Liu G, Tannir NM, Orchanian-Cheff A, Geng Y, Herrmann SM. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. Published: 2024 Aug; 19(8):1061-1072. PMID: 38848131 PMCID: PMC11321742.
Chen S, Yee J, Chiaramonte R. Physiol Rep. Published: 2023 Jan; 11(1):e15496. PMID: 36602098 PMCID: PMC9814030.
Chen S, Shey J, Chiaramonte R. Kidney360. Published: 2022 Dec; 3(12):2183-2189. PMID: 36591355 PMCID: PMC9802565.
Maulion C, Chen S, Rao VS, Ivey-Miranda JB, Cox ZL, Mahoney D, Coca SG, Negoianu D, Asher JL, Turner JM, Inker LA, Wilson FP, Testani JM. Kidney360. Published: 2022 Jun; 3(6):1003-1010. PMID: 35845336 PMCID: PMC9255871.
Chen S, Chiaramonte R. Physiol Rep. 2022 Feb;10(3):e15172. doi: 10.14814/phy2.15172. PMID: 35195956; PMCID: PMC8831854.
Chen S, Chiaramonte R. Physiol Rep. Published: 2021 Aug; 9(16):e14957. PMID: 34405576 PMCID: PMC8371355.
Chen S, Shieh M, Chiaramonte R, Shey J. Kidney360. Published: 2021 Feb; 2(2):365-370. PMID: 35373033 PMCID: PMC8740981.
Kitchlu A, Chan CT, Leung N, Chen S, Latcha S, Tam P. Can J Kidney Health Dis. Published: 2020; 7:1-10. PMID: 33117547 PMCID: PMC7573731.
Nada Youssef, M.D.
Youssef, N., & Abudayyeh, A. American journal of nephrology, 1-20.
Rashidi A, Youssef N, Workeneh B, Carsel A, Gutgarts V, Latcha S. American Journal of Nephrology. 2025 Feb 25;1–20.
Mudarres MF, Griffin B, Bahjat Azrieh, Rose A, Youssef N, Naga Sumanth Gopireddy. Navigating hyperammonemic encephalopathy: Continuous renal replacement therapy in a urea cycle defect secondary to fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Journal of Onco-Nephrology. 2025 May 14.
Mandayam S, Youssef N, Biswas P, Sridhar N. WCN25-809 NOT YOUR TYPICAL MGUS. Kidney International Reports. 2025 Jan 27;10(2):S589–90.
Use of Infliximab in Grade III/IV ICI Induced Nephritis – Masroor Habeeb, Nada Youssef, & Ala Abudayyeh – Immuno-Oncology treatment-related toxicities (IOTOX) Symposium, MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2024.
Acute Rejection and Relapse of Native Disease in Kidney Transplant Recipients with ESKD from ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: Insights from a Single-Center Study – Youssef, N., Swee, M. L., & Kuppachi, S. C., TH-PO760. American Society of Nephrology, 2024.
Oligomeganephronia in a 29-Year-Old Pregnant Woman – Youssef, N., Rastogi, P., & Thayyil, A., TH-PO724. American Society of Nephrology, 2024.
Program Faculty & Leadership
Sheldon Chen, M.D., and Nada Youssef, M.D., have extensive experience practicing onco-nephrology at UT MD Anderson. Deeply committed to education, they share their clinical expertise with trainees by leading the interactive, conversational Renal Rounds conference to foster active engagement and enhanced learning.
Sheldon Chen, M.D.
Program Director, Onco-Nephrology Fellowship
Professor, Nephrology
Nada Youssef, M.D.
Associate Program Director, Onco-Nephrology Fellowship
Assistant Professor, Nephrology
Why This Program
In addition to gaining unparalleled education and training experience, UT MD Anderson trainees have access to exceptional resources and benefits to help them build meaningful careers and lead fulfilling lives.
Institutional benefits and support
GME trainees’ salary stipends are updated every year based on the ACGME’s recommendations, and because our trainees are considered workforce members, they also enjoy UT MD Anderson’s employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement planning, disability insurance and six weeks of parental leave.
Our GME House Staff Senate offers trainees the opportunity to experience a leadership role in a medical field career, and the institution’s Academic Mentoring Council provides avenues to secure tailored academic mentoring from faculty. Our GME trainees benefit from the extensive support offered to our research trainees, too; they are invited to participate in grant application workshops, apply for pilot grants to support their research ideas and receive monetary awards for securing extramural grant funding.
Trainee wellness is also of utmost importance at UT MD Anderson.
Our trainees have access to UT MD Anderson’s employee networks, fitness center and other wellness resources provided by the institution. Additionally, our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), which provides oversight of our accredited programs, regularly assess our trainees’ needs and implements various initiatives, such as providing free call meals and discounted parking to GME House Staff, to address those gaps. The committee even has a subcommittee entirely dedicated to supporting the wellness of our trainees.
Our efforts to ensure a welcoming and supportive education and training experience have been commended nationally. In 2023, the Office of Graduate Medical Education received the DeWitt C. Baldwin, Jr. Award, a prestigious national award that recognizes our institution for its respectful and supportive environment for delivering medical education and patient care.
Beyond MD Anderson
UT MD Anderson’s location has many benefits, too. Our main campus is nestled inside the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical center which boasts about 10 million patient encounters each year. Many of our faculty are involved in interorganizational research collaborations, both within the TMC and across the nation, exposing trainees to groundbreaking advancements in medical care in real time.
Most importantly, the city of Houston is a great place to call home and raise a family. We are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. More than 145 different languages are spoken across the city, placing us behind only New York and Los Angeles. In fact, about 30% of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home. And, paychecks here stretch farther than most U.S. metro areas, thanks to our low cost of living.
Visit our Why Houston page to learn more about our city’s affordable housing, fine dining, entertainment scene, nationally renowned museums and other great attributes.