Dr. Ali Gharavi is a kidney specialist with expertise in human genetics. He is the Jay Meltzer MD Professor of Nephrology and Hypertension and currently serves as Chair of the Department of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Physician-in-Chief, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia. He previously served as the Chief of the Division of Nephrology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

The principal investigator on multiple research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Gharavi has specific interests in the genetics of kidney diseases, including IgA nephropathy and congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract. His research has identified genes and risk loci for many kidney diseases and has demonstrated the utility of sequencing for the diagnosis and management of patients with kidney disorders.

"Owing to the recent progress in genomic technologies, we now have the opportunity to make a precise genetic diagnosis for many patients and individualize care based on the specific molecular mechanism of disease. My objective is to therefore bring personalized genomic medicine from the laboratory into patient care," says Dr. Gharavi. As Department Chair, he aims to enhance access to genomic medicine for patients and reduce disparities for underserved populations.

After receiving his medical degree from George Washington University, Dr. Gharavi completed his Internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center and fellowships in hypertension and nephrology, also at Mount Sinai. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in human genetics at Yale University School of Medicine. He previously held academic appointments at Yale University School of Medicine and Mount Sinai School of Medicine and hospital appointments at Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Gharavi is the author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications and has led national and International committees related to genetic testing and research for kidney disorders. He was a recipient of the Judson Daland Prize for Outstanding Clinical Investigation from the American Philosophical Society, the National Kidney Foundation Clinical Scientist Award, and Homer Smith Award from the American Society of Nephrology. He was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians.