Faculty Profiles

Division of Nephrology

Gilbert Kinsey, PharmD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine

I have been at UVA since 2007, after finishing the PharmD/PhD program at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. I began working in Mark Okusa’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow and now have my own lab in the Division of Nephrology. I live near Zion Crossroads with my wife Katie and our 4 children (Harrison (7), Jackson (5), Ben (2) and Katherine (1).

I didn’t grow up planning to do science; my first real research experience was in pharmacy school. Once I realized that through careful and persistent work, it was possible to generate new knowledge, I was hooked. I really enjoy thinking about a biological question or mystery and planning out what experiments can help you understand (or get closer to understanding) the way a system works. And it’s exciting to think that the work we do in the laboratory may someday translate into new ways to improve the health of patients.

The Okusa lab is what attracted me to Charlottesville—it’s at the top tier of laboratories researching the role of the immune system in acute kidney injury. That was exactly the subject I wanted to work on as a postdoc and Dr. Okusa responded to my inquiry within a few hours, which really impressed me.

Sundararaman Swaminathan, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine

I came to UVA in 2012, after being on the nephrology faculty at the University of Arkansas for six years. I completed my initial nephrology fellowship training in India, then worked my way into a nephrology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. My clinical specialty is transplant nephrology, and I have a research lab that focuses on the role of iron transport in kidney injury.

A great institution and a wonderful team of researchers and mentors are what brought me to UVA. My collaboration with Dr. Okusa began when I was still in Arkansas, when I asked him to serve as an advisor on a grant application I was submitting. This led to our research collaboration. When Dr. Okusa offered me a position at UVA, I had no hesitation in accepting. The scientific environment here really facilitates creative thinking.

My wife, Lalitha, and I grew up in Thanjavur, India, a small town known for its 1000-year-old temple. Our families had known each other for years before we married. We also went to the same medical school— Thanjavur Medical College.

One of my role models is Sai Baba, who built hospitals in India offering free healthcare of high quality to everyone, including the poorest. The ideal of selfless service to humanity is one that continues to inspire me.