NICHQ Webinar

Managing aHUS: A Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Thrombotic Microangiopathy

April 30, 2021 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)

Thrombotic microangiopathies are rare, life-threatening diseases whose treatment involves multiple physicians from different specialties. Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a form of thrombotic microangiopathy characterized by the formation of blood clots in the body’s small blood vessels, with symptoms often first appearing in childhood. Severe forms of aHUS can lead to chronic kidney disease and kidney failure, often leading to an urgent need for a kidney transplant. Because symptoms are often non-specific (including paleness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, drowsiness, high blood pressure, and swelling), diagnosis of aHUS can be complex and can impact the success of pediatric kidney transplants.  

Hosted in recognition of National Pediatric Transplant Awareness Week (April 18-24), NICHQ invites pediatricians, family physicians, and other health care providers to widen their understanding of the clinical presentation of aHUS, learn more about the background and treatment, and discover how a team approach can successfully manage aHUS. 

Learning Objectives:  

  • Understand the clinical presentation of aHUS 
  • Understand the pathophysiology of aHUS and the genetic background of the disease 
  • Multidisciplinary Team approach to the management of aHUS 

Audience: Pediatric health professionals and family physicians

Speaker: Dr. Jean M. FrancisDr. Jean M. Francis

Jean M. Francis, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. He obtained his medical degree from the Lebanese University School of Medicine. He completed his medicine residency and nephrology fellowship at the Hospital of Saint Raphael and Yale University. He subsequently did a kidney and pancreas transplantation fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Francis is currently the Medical Director of kidney transplantation at Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) and serves as the Medical Director of the pancreas transplant program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). Dr. Francis conducts clinical research in kidney transplantation and has a special interest in thrombotic microangiopathy and complement-mediated diseases. He is also an accomplished educator, who has won several excellence in teaching awards from the Department of Medicine. Dr. Francis serves as a co-director of BU’s Thrombosis and Microangiopathy Collaborative, and he is also a co-director of the ARC on Thrombosis and Homeostasis. He is also the Region 1 United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) representative for pancreas transplantation.