Cardiovascular and Renal Progression Factors in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Colloquium in Honor of John H. Dirks ISN World Congress of Nephrology Singapore, June 26, 2005 Kidney International, Vol. 68 (2005), pp. 1411–1412 A TRIBUTE TO COMGAN Cardiovascular and Renal Progression Factors in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Colloquium in Honor of John H. Dirks ISN World Congress of Nephrology Singapore, June 26, 2005 INTRODUCTION This Colloquium is being held in honor of Dr. John Herbert Dirks. Table 1 summarizes John’s illustrious ed- C© 2005 by the International Society of Nephrology ucational and academic career but I will leave the de- tails to Dr. Robert Schrier, who will introduce John again as the recipient of the first International Soci- ety of Nephrology (ISN) Roscoe R. Robinson Award. Instead, I will briefly focus on some of the primary elements that characterize the life of this gifted and 1411 1412 Brenner: Cardiovascular and Renal Progression Factors in Chronic Kidney Disease Table 1. John Herbert Dirks, M.D. 1933 Born, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 1953 Graduated, University of Manitoba 1958 M.D. University of Manitoba 1957–1962 Medical Residency, Internal Medicine, Montreal 1962–1965 Fellow, Laboratory of Kidney and Electrolyte Metabolism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 1965–1976 Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor of Medicine and Physiology, McGill University, Montreal; Director, Renal and Electrolyte Division, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal 1976–1987 Chair, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver 1987–1991 Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto 1992–1994 Chair, National Council of Canada for Bioethics in Human Research 1994–1996 Rector, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan 1994–Present Chair, International Society of Nephrology (ISN) Commission for the Global Advancement of Nephrology (COMGAN) 1992–Present President, The Gairdner Foundation most giving Canadian physician, scientist, scholar, and humanitarian. Born and raised in modesty in the true Mennonite tra- dition, which he has steadfastly maintained throughout his life, John’s career has been marked by genuine and consistent curiosity, bookishness, commitment to excel- lence, and a grand vision of worldly scope. After training in internal medicine in Montreal, he spent 3 productive years in renal physiology research at National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he made key discoveries on fluid volume regulation. When he returned to Montreal to lead the Renal Program at Royal Victoria Hospital, he and his team made major contributions to our understanding of the mechanism of action of diuretics and the role of the re- nal tubule in calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium home- ostasis. John then was invited to the Chair in Medicine at the University of British Columbia where, over the next 11 years, he built a superb department with distinctions in teaching and research. His leadership skills led to his elevation to the Deanship of the University of Toronto where he again served with great distinction, before em- barking on a new career in international health, initially in Toronto and then at Aga Khan University in Pakistan. He similarly raised the standards, energy level, and inter- national reputation of the once rather sleepy Gairdner Foundation to a position of preeminence since assuming its Presidency more than a decade ago. Indeed, under his leadership, it is now the case that a person selected for the Gairdner Award is virtually certain to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Likewise, his superb leadership of the global outreach effort of the ISN through its Commission for the Global Advancement of Nephrology (COMGAN) has made it a truly path-breaking vehicle for promoting educational and practical training experiences for tens of thousands of renal and related health care professionals in virtually every corner of the globe. Among many other initiatives forged by COMGAN under his guidance, his efforts have made clear to in- ternational health agencies that we are now experienc- ing a sea-change in the world’s disease burden, namely, no longer primarily from infectious diseases but rather from chronic, progressive, and debilitating disorders such as heart failure and chronic renal failure. For his hu- mane and selfless acts, John has received the highest recognition and praise from his professional colleagues and deserves no less from this Society to which he has given so much. In all the spheres cited above, progress and forward momentum would never have been possi- ble without his unbridled enthusiasm, diligence, and self- sacrifice—qualities of citizenship and devotion to fulfill- ing humankind’s greatest needs that set him apart as a national and international treasure deserving of the high- est forms of recognition. John, more than anyone I know, embodies Ralph Waldo Emerson’s admonition, “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” One such modest recognition is the convening of today’s scientific session in his honor. The theme se- lected, “Cardiovascular and Renal Progression Factors in Chronic Kidney Disease,” reflects John’s keen interest in global disease prevention, particularly the global dis- eases such as cardiovascular and renal disease that now account for much of the world’s morbidity and mortality and for which beneficial intervention strategies are ur- gently needed. To address these issues we have assembled an outstanding roster of speakers, whose contributions and expertise are forging the primary and secondary pre- vention initiatives that are rapidly setting standards for care around the world. In the papers that follow, these ini- tiatives will be highlighted. Let me also take this occasion to recognize the generous and unrestricted educational grant from Amgen, Inc., that makes this colloquium and publication possible. BARRY M. BRENNER Samuel A. Levine Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; and Director Emeritus, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts Reprint requests to Barry M. Brenner, M.D., Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis St., Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: bbrenner@partners.org