Darrell and Dorthy Ann Fanestil Establish Endowed Chair in Nephrology-Hypertension With $2M Gift

Fanestil worked in the Division of Nephrology-Hypertension, part of the Department of Medicine, until 2002. He is a preeminent expert on nephrology, a field of medicine focused on conditions and diseases related to the kidneys, including hypertension. According to the Centers for Disease Control, it is estimated that approximately 37 million or 15% of U.S. adults suffer from chronic kidney disease, and many don’t know they have it.

“Dr. Fanestil has been a pioneer in the field of nephrology, which affects a broad population of people in the United States and around the world,” said Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences John M. Carethers, MD. “His research and work with patients have helped benefit countless people who suffer from chronic kidney disease. We are grateful for the foundation of excellence that he established, and which now continues with this generous gift.” 

The endowed chair was established to support a distinguished faculty member in the Division of Nephrology-Hypertension. Joachim H. Ix, MD, a professor and chief of the Division of Nephrology-Hypertension at UC San Diego Health, has been named the inaugural chair holder of the Darrell and Dorthy Ann Fanestil Family Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Nephrology-Hypertension.

Ix is a nephrologist, epidemiologist and clinical trial principal investigator whose research focuses in two main areas: novel therapies in chronic kidney disease mineral bone disorders (CKD-MBD) and non-invasive assessment of kidney tubule health, which provides new ways to monitor kidney patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and kidney failure.

“Dr. Ix is a triple threat, an outstanding clinician, researcher and teacher and highly deserving of this honor,” said Chair of the Department of Medicine Zea Borok, MD. “This gift will be transformative for the division in providing support for the next-generation of researchers in nephrology and we are truly grateful to Dr. Fanestil and his wife.”

Ix, who had the opportunity to work with Fanestil at UC San Diego, said: “Dr. Fanestil has been an incredible influence on our division, not only because he was its founder, but also because he has been a colleague, mentor and friend to so many people who are here or who are members of our academic family elsewhere. He has an incredible legacy in nephrology and it is fitting that this position carry his name and shines light on that legacy in perpetuity.”

Before establishing the chair, Fanestil and his family consistently supported student scholarships and access to education through the years.

“UC San Diego has had an incredible impact on me and my family, but also on the world around us, thanks in part to the prolific work of the Department of Nephrology-Hypertension,” Fanestil said. “It is a privilege to be able to give back to the place that has given me so much professional and personal fulfillment.”

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