Ali Etemadi, MD

2025 Dimitrios G. Oreopoulus Research Fellowship Award

Institution: Stanford University

Project Title: A Precision Medicine Approach to Optimizing Beta-Blocker Therapy in Hemodialysis

How would you sum up your overall research focus in one sentence?

Using large-scale electronic health records to develop personalized treatment strategies within a causal framework

Provide a brief overview of the research you will conduct with help from the grant.

Hypertension management in hemodialysis patients remains a significant challenge, with cardiovascular diseases being the leading cause of death in this population. While beta-blockers show potential, the evidence supporting their use is heterogeneous. Given the complexities of conducting clinical trials in this population, our aim is to conduct robust, data-driven studies that develop personalized treatment strategies to optimize patient outcomes.

What inspired you to focus your research in this area?

The complexity of conducting clinical trials in hemodialysis patients, combined with the urgent need for more effective hypertension management, inspired me to focus on developing data-driven strategies. The variability in treatment response, particularly with beta-blockers, underscores the importance of personalized approaches to optimize outcomes in this challenging population.

What impact do you hope your research will have on patients?

I hope my research will lead to personalized treatment strategies that improve hypertension management and reduce cardiovascular risk in hemodialysis patients, ultimately improving their health and survival.

What are your career goals at the end of the grant period? Five years out? Ten years out?

At the end of the grant period, I aim to have developed a strong foundation in causal analysis and precision medicine, focusing on optimizing hypertension management in kidney disease patients. Five years from now, I plan to be an independent physician-scientist, leading research that bridges clinical practice and data-driven treatments. Ten years out, I hope to be recognized as a leader in nephrology, using causal machine learning to improve patient outcomes and influencing clinical guidelines and policy.

What are the major challenges to beginning a career in nephrology research today?

A major challenge in starting a career in nephrology research today is securing adequate funding and mentorship, especially for emerging physician-scientists. Nephrology research often requires large-scale data studies, which can be resource-intensive, and navigating the complexities of multi-center collaborations can be difficult. Additionally, the field faces a gap in translating clinical research into practical, real-world applications, requiring a blend of clinical expertise and data science skills that may be hard to develop early in one's career.

Something you may not know about me is…

That I'm still trying to find the perfect balance between clinical research and caffeine. So far, coffee is winning.

In my free time I like to…

Pretend I'm a chef while attempting (and usually failing) to cook new recipes. And, of course, the (obligatory) hiking.