International Society of Nephrology

The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) is a global professional association dedicated to advancing kidney health worldwide through education, grants, research, and advocacy.

International Society of Nephrology

Founded	1960
Type	Medical
Focus	Nephrology, kidney disease, global health, education, WHO
Location	New Jersey, US and Brussels, Belgium
Area served	Worldwide
Members	9,000
Website	www.theisn.org

The ISN, through its members and in collaboration with national and regional societies, engages 30,000 health professionals from across the globe to reduce the burden of kidney diseases and provide optimal health care for patients.

Introduction

Since 1960, the ISN has promoted and worked toward a future where all people have equitable access to sustainable kidney health:

Advocacy

The ISN advocates to bridge the gaps of available care and move kidney health higher up the international health policy agenda through collaboration with global partners.

Grants

With the support of a wide range of partnerships, the ISN has developed a set of core granting programs enabling nephrologists around the world to access or contribute to education, training, and partnerships that help improve nephrology care in low and middle-income countries to reduce the impact of kidney disease worldwide.

Research

The ISN has long recognized the importance of research initiatives in advancing its mission for global kidney health and has launched several research-related projects:

• The Observatory of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) facilitates collaboration and information exchange between diverse groups in the field.
• The ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas (GKHA) defines the current worldwide state of AKI and CKD care and provides policy recommendations for improvements.
• The ISN-ACT toolkit is aimed at nephrologists and researchers in nephrology regardless of their clinical trial experience and local resources. It aims to guide anyone wishing to start a clinical trial or to participate as a trial site.

Events

The ISN creates live and online networking opportunities to develop relationships within the global nephrology community. Using innovative formats, the ISN offers educational platforms for scientific exchange and debate between healthcare professionals worldwide:

• The World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) is the society's annual scientific meeting connecting nephrologists, industry, pharmaceutical companies, and other organizations aligned with the ISN's mission to advance kidney health worldwide.
• ISN Frontiers meetings offer cutting-edge science and state-of-the-art lectures in specialist topics to a targeted audience.
• ISN-endorsed high-quality stakeholder meetings, courses, and workshops to benefit its members and affiliated scientific communities.
• Regular live and on-demand webinars in several languages on various topics relevant to the nephrology community.

Education

The ISN Academy is an e-learning portal providing digital learning experiences through webinars, podcasts, and online courses. The Academy partners with other organizations, institutions, and renowned experts to offer knowledge and expertise in the latest nephrology science and practice. Interactivity and CME accreditation are key features of ISN's online education program. While most webinars are in English, the ISN Academy regularly presents material in Spanish, Chinese, and French.

Journals

Through its various publications, ISN brings its members the latest news in research, highlights from current literature, comprehensive reviews, and in-depth case studies:

Kidney International (KI) is the official journal of the International Society of Nephrology. Under the editorial leadership of Dr. Pierre Ronco (France), KI is one of the most-cited journals in nephrology and widely regarded as the world's premier journal on the development and consequences of kidney disease.

Kidney International Supplements is a peer-reviewed companion journal to Kidney International focusing on sponsored, topical nephrology content.

Kidney International Reports, an official journal of the International Society of Nephrology, is a peer-reviewed, online-only, open-access journal devoted to leading research and developments related to kidney disease. Seminars in Nephrology provides scholarly review articles focusing on current topics in clinical nephrology and related fields.

Leadership

ISN Officers, Executive Committee members, and Councillors are volunteers selected from membership to lead the society and oversee its activities. The ISN President-Elect and Council are volunteers elected by ISN members to provide strategic leadership.

The ISN has established 10 Regional Boards to monitor and report on ISN activities across the globe and build relationships with affiliated societies.

The council is composed of Regional Board Chairs and Deputy Chairs from each of the ten ISN regions. It works alongside the Executive Committee to determine effective policies, strategy, and governance to carry out ISN's mission.

Supporting Groups are committees, working groups, and advisory groups collaborating with the Council and Executive Committee to develop ISN activities, such as education, grants, research, and advocacy.