Caroline Hsu, MD

2025 Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar Grant

Institution: Tufts Medical Center

Project Title: Peritoneal Dialysis in Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities

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

My research aims to improve the care of patients receiving dialysis, whether they are managing it themselves at home or receiving it in-center.

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

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is usually managed at home by patients and their family. However, admission to a hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF) can be a time of medical instability and complicated logistics, and many patients discontinue PD and transfer to in-center hemodialysis around the time of an admission. In this project, I aim to better understand how PD is delivered in hospitals and SNFs and how the system-level factors in these settings may contribute to PD discontinuation. By using surveys and interviews with healthcare staff as well as analysis of patient-level clinical data, our findings will identify areas where we can improve patient care.

What inspired you to focus your research in this area?

Thanks to the Advancing American Kidney Health initiative, a growing number of patients are receiving peritoneal dialysis at home. However, I have seen a number of patients face difficult logistics due to PD's limited availability in hospitals and SNFs. One patient was hospitalized an extra two weeks due to lack of SNFs providing PD. Another was simply compelled by the hospital team to transfer to hemodialysis, despite a lack of medical need. These are systems-level factors where we can improve patient care.

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

I am heartened by the increasing number of patients able to do dialysis at home in the form of PD. I hope that my work will enable them to continue to receive excellent PD care when they are admitted to a hospital or SNF.

What has surprised you most about your career?

I really think the old model of an isolated researcher in their silo is outdated. I have been surprised and delighted by the collaborative nature of research today, having worked with some truly wonderful colleagues. Through various hurdles and challenges, the mutual support is incredibly encouraging as we strive toward a common goal.

What are the major challenges facing nephrology research today?

There are two major challenges that I see facing all of scientific research today. First, we are living in an era where it seems that quick, easy answers are at our fingertips, but we must not lose sight of the value of rigorous, thorough scientific investigation. Thoughtful scientific study requires investing time and resources to yield deeper and more meaningful insights. Second, we must communicate our findings clearly and without bias, while still acknowledging complexity and nuance. Such high-quality communication will go a long way in maintaining trust in science.

What advice would you give to others to encourage them to apply for this grant funding?

We are at an exciting time in nephrology research, with incredible advances over the last few years. This grant funding will enable our collective knowledge and expertise to continue, and I hope more budding researchers take advantage of this valuable opportunity.

Something you may not know about me is…

I play violin in a local community orchestra.

In my free time, I like to…

Explore museums, ice skate, and try new restaurants.