Next Lectureship Coming Fall 2026
Support the Lectureship
If you would like to contribute to future lectureships, you may do so online at the Stanford Medicine Make a Gift site.
Follow these steps to direct the gift to the Nephrology division.
- Under “Direct your gift” choose “Other Stanford Designation” from the drop-down menu.
- An “Other” text box will open. You may add “The Med/Nephrology fund to support the Myers' Lectureship”
- If you prefer to make a donation toward our broader academic and research endeavors, simply enter "Med/Nephrology general fund to support ongoing education, research & other needs"
Stanford University is a non-profit organization and gifts are tax deductible.
The Bryan Myers Distinguished Lectureship
Established in 2019, the Bryan Myers Lectureship is an annual event hosted by the Division of Nephrology at Stanford School of Medicine, dedicated to honoring the remarkable contributions of Dr. Bryan Myers. Each year, the lectureship invites leading experts to present their research and insights, encouraging dialogue and innovation in kidney care. This initiative not only commemorates Dr. Myers' contributions but also inspires the next generation of physician-scientists to pursue excellence in research and patient care.
This annual lecture is made possible thanks to the Mr. and Mrs. Chin Hon Chou Lectureship Fund. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Chou! Learn more about supporting research and educational initiatives like this one under "Support the Lectureship" below.
About Dr. Bryan Myers (1936 - 2023)
Dr. Bryan Myers, MB ChB, was a distinguished professor emeritus of nephrology at the Stanford School of Medicine, whose legacy continues to inspire through the annual Bryan Myers Lectureship. Serving as the chief of the Division of Nephrology from 1984 to 2003, Dr. Myers was a warm and empathetic mentor, a dedicated physician, and a pioneer in kidney disease research.
Dr. Myers' medical journey led him from fellowships in Cape Town and the United Kingdom to roles in Israel, where he was chief of nephrology at Meir Hospital. Increasingly frustrated by the limited treatment choices for patients with chronic kidney disease, Dr. Myers made a significant shift toward research during his sabbatical at UC San Francisco in 1974. There, he explored animal kidney research in collaboration with Barry Brenner. This experience fueled his passion for research, eventually bringing him to Stanford in 1976, where he became director of the Stanford Health Care Hemodialysis Clinic and an assistant professor of medicine.
"Bryan Myers embodied the best of physician-scientists.
– Dr. Lloyd Minor, Dean of the Stanford School of Medicine
Dr. Myers’ studies on the defects in the glomerular filtration barrier that cause proteinuria have stood the test of time and continue to be cited in authoritative papers on the subject. He extended his research to a broad range of human kidney diseases--acute kidney injury, pregnancy, diabetic kidney disease, and kidney transplants. As we learned more about the kidney, we have been able to actually “see” the hypothetical pores that Dr. Myers identified 40 years ago.
Dr. Myers was an exemplary teacher and mentor, directing the clinical and research training of approximately one hundred nephrology fellows and mentoring seventy-two postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have gone on to hold leadership positions in academia. His glomerular injury clinic provided a unique outpatient learning experience, attracting patients from across the globe.
Dr. Myers' commitment to his patients was unwavering, often forming lasting connections with those he treated. His compassionate nature and open-door policy made him a cherished figure among colleagues and students alike. He was known for his kindness, always welcoming and willing to help others, even inviting patients to his home for celebrations. His son, remarked, "My dad was always a very hard worker. To him, what was important was to do things that benefited others."
In 1998 he was named a Champion of Hope by the National Kidney Foundation of Northern California and in 2003, he won Stanford Medicine's prestigious Albion Walter Hewlett Award, which honors exceptional physicians.
Outside of his professional life, Dr. Myers was an athletic rugby player during college and continued to enjoy sports, playing tennis and cycling regularly. He loved chamber music and was active in his synagogue, Congregation Beth Jacob, in Redwood City. A loving family man, he and his wife, Jean, traveled extensively and cherished time spent with their children and grandchildren.
2025 Speaker
Michelle Hladunewich
Associate Scientist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Michelle Hladunewich received her Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Alberta and completed her Internal Medicine training at the University of Toronto and her Critical Care and Nephrology fellowships at Stanford University Medical Center. In addition to her research training in glomerular physiology under Dr. Bryan Myers, Dr. Hladunewich earned a Master of Science degree in Clinical Investigation at Stanford University. In 2003, she joined the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and was promoted to Professor in 2019. Dr. Hladunewich is the medical lead for the Kidney Disease and Pregnancy Clinic (PreKid Clinic). Her research program includes studies in glomerular-based disease as well as pregnancy-related kidney disease. Dr. Hladunewich is currently the Chief of Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the Ontario Renal Network Medical Lead for Glomerulonephritis and Specialty Clinics.
2024 Speaker
Lori-Ann Fisher
Consultant Nephrologist and Intensivist at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Mona Jamaica
Dr. Lori-Ann Fisher is a Consultant Nephrologist and Intensivist at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Mona Jamaica. She is an honorary Lecturer in the Epidemiology Research Unit of Caribbean Institute of Health and is an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Medicine at the University of the West Indies, Mona. After completing residency and fellowship training in the United States in Internal Medicine, Nephrology and critical care medicine, she returned to Jamaica, with an interest to improve quality of care in persons living with kidney disease in the Caribbean and improve the awareness of kidney disease in the region. She has engaged with local advocacy groups to improve knowledge and awareness of kidney disease through social media campaigns, engagement in local and regional conferences in addition to media appearances. Her research interests include the epidemiology of kidney disease and its risk factors in the Caribbean, as well as sickle cell nephropathy and has published on Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease in Jamaica.
Dr. Fisher’s passion for improving the quality of care for people living with kidney disease in the Caribbean and raising awareness of kidney disease in the region is evident in her work. She has engaged with local advocacy groups to improve knowledge and awareness of kidney disease through social media campaigns, engagement in local and regional conferences, and media appearances. Her research interests include the epidemiology of kidney disease and its risk factors in the Caribbean, as well as sickle cell nephropathy, and she has published on Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease in Jamaica.
Dr. Fisher’s commitment to excellence in patient care is reflected in her extensive experience as a Consultant Internist, Consultant Nephrologist, and Consultant Intensivist. Her dedication to improving patient outcomes and advancing medical knowledge makes her an outstanding professional in her field.
2023 Speaker
Ananth Karumanchi
Professor of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Dr. Ananth Karumanchi, Medallion Chair in Vascular Biology, is Director of Renovascular Research and Professor in the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Dr. Karumanchi has a second appointment as a Visiting Staff Scientist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard Medical School, Boston. He completed his medical degree at the University of Madras, India (1992), followed by a residency in Internal Medicine at the Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit (1996), and a fellowship in Nephrology at BIDMC, Boston (1999).
His laboratory characterizes pathogenic pathways and develops therapies for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and chronic renal disease. Dr. Karumanchi’s research activities are vertically integrated, ranging from molecular and cell biological studies through animal models to first-in-class human clinical trials. Dr. Karumanchi has published over 300 papers (including NEJM, Circulation, Nature, Nature Medicine, and JCI, with an H index of 108).
He has received several prestigious awards:
- Established Investigator Award, 2008, American Heart Association (AHA)
- Chesley Award, 2010, International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy
- Outstanding Investigator Award, 2010, American Federation for Medical Research
- Gregory Pincus Memorial Medal, 2021, Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research
2019 - Inaugural Lecture
Adeera Levin
Professor of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Dr. Levin is a Professor of Medicine, Head of the Division of Nephrology at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and Consultant nephrologist at Providence Health Care/St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She is the Executive Director of the BC Renal Agency which oversees the care, planning and budgets for kidney services throughout the province. In this capacity, she has leveraged her clinical expertise and training in clinical epidemiology and health services research to develop an evidence-based, transparent system that aims to enhance the care of patients across the continuum of chronic kidney disease (CKD) care, including early identification and slowing progression of CKD, and optimizing the care of patients requiring dialysis and kidney transplantation.
Dr. Levin previously served as Secretary General and is immediate Past President of the International Society of Nephrology. Her major research areas of interest include non-traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease in CKD (and more recently CKDu) and is an international authority on evaluating and creating innovative, multidisciplinary models of CKD care. A friend of Stanford, Dr. Levin previously served as a consultant to the Clinical Excellence Research Center (CERC) and is Chair of the External Advisory Council of the Adult and Pediatric Nephrology and Urology Research Training Grant.