Description of Research Expertise

Dr. Dember conducts patient-oriented research including mechanistic studies and clinical trials in chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). She has held leadership roles in several multicenter clinical trials and observational studies including the Dialysis Access Consortium, the Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation Study, the Hemodialysis Novel Therapies Consortium, the Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort study, and the HOPE Consortium trial, all funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). As the Principal Investigator for the NIH Time to Reduce Mortality in End-Stage Renal Disease trial (TiME), Dr. Dember played an important role in introducing to the Nephrology community large pragmatic trials embedded in clinical care delivery, an effort that she is continuing as a Co-Investigator for the NIDDK HiLo trial and as Multiple PI for the PCORI-funded SMaRRT-HD Study. She is currently serving as the Principal Investigator for the Data Coordinating Center for the HOPE Trial, the CRIC Study, and the SMaRRT-HD Study.

Selected Publications

Tong Xiaoyong, Hou Xiuyun, Wason Christopher, Kopel Tal, Cohen Richard A, Dember Laura M: Smooth Muscle Nitric Oxide Responsiveness and Clinical Maturation of Hemodialysis Arteriovenous Fistulae. Am J Pathol 187 (9): 2095-2101,2017.

Kopel Tal, Kaufman James S, Hamburg Naomi, Sampalis John S, Vita Joseph A, Dember Laura M: Endothelium-Dependent and -Independent Vascular Function in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol : 2017.

Alpers CE, Imrey PB, Hudkins KL, Wietecha TA, Radeva M, Allon M, Cheung AK, Dember LM, Roy-Chaudhury P, Shiu Y-T, Terry CM, Farber A, Beck GJ, Feldman HI, Kusek JW, Himmelfarb J.: Histopathology of veins at time of creation of arteriovenous fistulas: findings from the Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation Study J Am Soc Nephrol 28 (10): 3076-3088,2017.

Cheung AK, Imrey PB, Alpers CE, Robbin ML, Radeva M, Larive B, Shiu Y-T, Allon M, Dember LM, Greene T, Himmelfarb J, Roy-Chaudhury PR, Terry CM, Vazquez MA, Kusek JW, Feldman HI: Intimal Hyperplasia, Stenosis, and Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation Failure in the Hemodialysis Fistula Maturation Study J Am Soc Nephrol 28 (10): 3005-3013,2017.

Courtright KR, Madden V, Gabler NB, Cooney E, Kim J, Herbst N, Burgoon L, Whealdon J, Dember LM, Halpern SD: A randomized trial of expanding choice sets to motivate advance directive completion Med Decis Making : 2016 .

Sawinski Deirdre, Lim Mary Ann, Cohen Jordana C, Locke Jayme E, Weiss Brendan, Hogan Jonathan J, Dember Laura M: Patient and Kidney Allograft Survival in Recipients with End Stage Renal Disease from Amyloidosis. Transplantation 102 (2): 300-309,2018.

Dember LM, Archdeacon P, Krishnan M, Lacson E, Ling SM, Roy-Chaudhury P, Smith KA, Flessner MF: Pragmatic Trials in Maintenance Dialysis: Perspectives from the Kidney Health Initiative. J Am Soc Nephrol 27 (10): 2955-2963,2016.

Dixon BS, Beck GJ, Vazquez MA, Greenberg A, Delmez JA, Allon M, Dember LM, Himmelfarb J, Gassman JJ, Greene T, Radeva MK, Davidson IJ, Ikizler TA, Braden GL, Fenves AZ, Kaufman JS, Cotton JR, Martin KJ, McNei JW, Rahman A, Lawson JH, Whiting JF, Hu B, Meyers CM, Kusek JW, Feldman HI, Dialysis Access Consortium (DAC) Study Group: Effect of dipyridamole plus aspirin on hemodialysis graft patency N Engl J Med 360 : 2191-2201,2009.

Dember LM, Beck GJ, Allon M, Delmez J, Dixon BS, Greenberg A, Himmelfarb J, Vazquez VA, Gassman JJ, Greene T, Radeva MK, Braden GL, Ikizler TA, Rocco MV, Davidson IJ, Kaufman JS, Meyers CM, Kusek JW, Feldman HI. Dialysis Access Consortium (DAC) Study Group: Effect of clopidogrel on early failure of arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis: a randomized, controlled trial JAMA 299 : 2164-71,2008.

Dember LM, Hawkins PN, Hazenberg BPC, Gorevic PD, Merlini G, Butriemene I, Livneh A, Lesnyak O, puechal X, Lachmann H, Obici L, Balshaw R, Garceau D, Hauck W. Skinner M: Eprodisate for the treatment of renal disease in AA amyloidosis N Engl J Med 356 : 2349-60,2007.

Academic Contact Information

Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension Division
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Blockley Hall, Office 920
423 Guardian Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-573-5264
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366