Dr. Andrew S. Levey stands as a preeminent nephrologist whose career has profoundly shaped modern kidney disease management. He currently serves as Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and Chief Emeritus of the Division of Nephrology at Tufts Medical Center, positions he held after decades of leadership including his tenure as Chief from 1999 to 2017. A graduate of the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences in 1972, he earned his Doctor of Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine in 1976, followed by internal medicine residency at Montefiore Medical Center and nephrology fellowship at Tufts Medical Center. His early career trajectory established him as a rising star in nephrology, culminating in his appointment as Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in 1994.
Dr. Levey's groundbreaking contributions revolutionized the clinical understanding and management of chronic kidney disease through his development of standardized equations to estimate glomerular filtration rate from routine laboratory tests, which became the foundation for defining and staging kidney disease globally. His seminal 2006 New England Journal of Medicine paper Assessing kidney function—measured and estimated glomerular filtration rate has garnered over 3900 citations and established the clinical gold standard for kidney function assessment used worldwide. He led the global standardization of chronic kidney disease definition and staging through the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes guidelines, transforming what was previously considered multiple disparate conditions into a unified clinical entity with defined progression stages. This paradigm shift has enabled early detection, improved risk stratification, and standardized treatment approaches that have impacted the care of millions of patients with kidney disease worldwide.
Beyond his direct research contributions, Dr. Levey has profoundly influenced the nephrology community through leadership roles including serving as editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases from 2007 to 2016 and chairing multiple National Kidney Foundation task forces that established clinical practice guidelines adopted internationally. His mentorship has cultivated generations of nephrologists, with colleagues like Dr. Mark Sarnak succeeding him as Chief of Nephrology at Tufts Medical Center and continuing his legacy of innovation in kidney disease research. Recognized with prestigious honors including the American Society of Nephrology's Belding H. Scribner Award and multiple years as a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher, his influence extends to public health policy where his work led the American Heart Association to recognize chronic kidney disease as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Though semi-retired from clinical practice, Dr. Levey continues to shape the future of nephrology through ongoing research, guideline development, and the establishment of the Andrew S. Levey Professorship aimed at perpetuating excellence in kidney disease research and care.
