Nephrology society names new president

The American Society of Nephrology elected Dr. Ronald Falk as president of the professional society.

Falk, 59, is chief of the University of North Carolina Medical School's division of nephrology and hypertension and director of the UNC Kidney Center. He was elected to the American Society of Nephrology Council in 2006 and has served as chairman of the society's education committee, according to an ASN news release (PDF). One focus of his research has been glomerulonephritis, an autoimmune kidney disease.

The Washington-based ASN, which has more than 13,000 members, works to educate health professionals about kidney disease, advance research and advocate on behalf of patients.

Dr. Joseph Bonventre served as ASN president from 2010-2011.