New York City, NY (July 28, 2025) — The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has been selected to receive the 2025 Friends of Pathology Award by the Association for Academic Pathology (AAPath). The award recognizes the NKF’s continued efforts to advance the implementation of the race-free 2021 CKD-EPI equations for estimating glomerular filtration (eGFR) in U.S. clinical laboratories. The award will be presented at AAPath’s annual meeting which is attended by over 450 leaders of academic pathology throughout the U.S.
“Since 2021 the NKF has advocated adoption of a more consistent, standardized approach among pathology and laboratory organizations by highlighting the pivotal role clinical laboratory testing plays in guiding appropriate, equitable patient care,” said Chen Liu, MD, President of AAPath. “The NKF’s collaboration with and support of the pathology specialty is much appreciated and fits the very definition of a Friend of Pathology.” Dr. Liu also expressed his gratitude for the organization’s participation in NKF’s Laboratory Engagement Initiative."
“The Association for Academic Pathology played an important role in the NKF Laboratory Engagement Initiative, assisting with development of tools and resources to support implementation of the race-free 2021 CKD-EPI equations,” said Joseph Vassalotti, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the National Kidney foundation. “AAPath also participated with other members of the U.S. clinical pathology and laboratory leadership in the endorsement of the NKF-American Society of Nephrology Task Force recommendations to use these equations.”
The Laboratory Engagement Initiative is a component of CKDintercept, the NKF’s national efforts to advance healthcare quality improvement (QI) in kidney disease and its associated heart disease risk through improved CKD testing, recognition, and management in primary care. To learn more about CKDintercept and strategies for healthcare quality improvement, including Laboratory Engagement, visit https://www.kidney.org/professionals/ckdintercept or contact population.health@kidney.org.
The Friends of Pathology Award was established in 2007 to recognize the important roles played by non-pathologists in supporting and communicating the value of laboratory medicine in patient care. Past awardees include the Association of American Medical Colleges, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, NIH Director Francis Collins, The Brookings Institution, Wall Street Journalreporter John Carreyrou, The Rory Staunton Foundation for Sepsis Prevention, and New York Timesreporter, Katherine Wu.
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, more than 37 million adults are estimated to have kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD)—and approximately 90 percent don’t know they have it. About 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. are at risk for kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to have kidney failure. Hispanics experience kidney failure at about double the rate of White people.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
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Media Contact: Paul McGee
paul.mcgee@kidney.org or 716.523.6874