ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) is convening its seventh annual national summit on Unknown Causes of Kidney Disease (UCKD) in Washington, D.C., bringing healthcare professionals, researchers, industry leaders and patient advocates together to advance understanding, early recognition and timely diagnosis of unknown, genetic or misdiagnosed causes of kidney disease. Building on these efforts, AKF is announcing a new Quality of Care Innovations in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) grant program at the summit.
Through the Unknown Causes of Kidney Disease (UCKD) Project®, launched in 2020, AKF is leading national efforts to address diagnostic delays in kidney disease, expand access to genetic testing, reduce health disparities, empower patients and enhance resources for healthcare professionals. While diabetes is widely known as the leading cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which affects 1 in 7 American adults, inherited kidney diseases are also a leading cause of early CKD. Additionally, an estimated 15% of people with kidney disease don't know the cause, according to an AKF survey of healthcare professionals.
“Too many people live with uncertainty about the cause of their kidney disease, which can leave critical gaps in their care,” said LaVarne A. Burton, AKF President and CEO. “The UCKD Project aims to close those gaps. We look forward to meaningful dialogue and action to help ensure patients facing these uncertainties have the educational resources they need and members of the kidney care team are better equipped to recognize when further evaluation may be needed to help patients move toward an accurate diagnosis.”
Highlights of the summit include updates from UCKD implementation groups, during which AKF will share key milestones of the UCKD Project and announce the new grant program. The program will fund implementation-focused projects that aim to accelerate early identification of CKD, advance understanding and diagnosis of CKD of an unknown cause and support additional evaluation for rare kidney diseases when clinically appropriate. Applications for the grant program will be open October 2026 through February 2027.
The keynote speaker for the summit is Dr. Janewit Wongboonsin, a former AKF Clinical Scientist in Nephrology Program fellow. Dr. Wongboonsin is an associate physician in the Division of Renal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a part-time lecturer at Harvard Medical School. He will discuss his research on the genetic signatures of nephrotic syndrome as well as the differences in kidney disease diagnosis between the United States and the United Kingdom and the factors that contribute to those differences.
Other sessions at the summit will include:
- A panel featuring perspectives from a nephrologist, a cardiologist, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, an endocrinologist and a family medicine physician who will discuss how their specialties can aid in the early detection of CKD
- A panel featuring perspectives from patient advocates who will discuss their experiences with rare and genetic kidney diseases
- Breakout sessions focused on expanding education and resources to support earlier detection through the diagnosis journey and addressing barriers to timely and accurate diagnosis
AKF is grateful to its corporate sponsors whose support makes the UCKD Project possible: Title Sponsors Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation and Travere Therapeutics, Inc.; Leadership Sponsors Boehringer Ingelheim, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Champion Sponsors Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Alnylam, Natera and Sanofi.
About the American Kidney Fund
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) fights kidney disease on all fronts as the nonprofit with the greatest direct impact on people with kidney disease. AKF works on behalf of the 1 in 7 American adults living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, with an unmatched scope of programs that support people wherever they are in their fight against kidney disease—from prevention through post-transplant living. AKF fights for kidney health for all through programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy. AKF is one of the nation’s top-rated nonprofits, investing 96 cents of every donated dollar in programs, and it has received 24 consecutive 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, formerly known as GuideStar.
For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with AKF on Facebook, Bluesky, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Nancy Gregory American Kidney Fund (240) 292-7077 ngregory@kidneyfund.org
