LOS ANGELES, CA – January 25, 2007 – University Kidney Disease Research Associates (UKDRA/UKRO),** an organization dedicated to research that will create improved treatments and cures for and the prevention of kidney disease, will be holding a benefit dinner at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Friday, March 30, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. The entertainment will be an evening with multi-platinum singer songwriter, Peter Cetera. The Mistress of Ceremonies will be multi-platinum singer songwriter, Deana Carter.
UKRO will be honoring two of the world’s leaders in kidney transplantation, Drs. Rafael and Robert Mendez, and Dr. Benjamin Barbour, the first chairman of the Department of Nephrology at the USC Keck School of Medicine. On this occasion, UKRO will also be announcing the first John McKay Memorial Fellowship in Renal Research at USC in honor of one of the great figures in American sports, and a legend at USC, who sadly died of kidney failure in 2001.
Kidney disease is all around us. You may be shocked to know that more than 20 million people in the U.S. (1 in 9 adults) now have chronic kidney disease and that having kidney disease substantially shortens one’s life span. Treatment for those afflicted exacts a staggering toll in terms of healthcare expenditures in the United States, with an annual burden to Medicare in excess of $20 billion dollars (and increasing by 12% annually) only to cover the cost of dialysis for the 380,000 patients in the United States with end-stage kidney failure. The only way to contain these runaway costs is basic research, which unfortunately is drastically under funded at all levels. In association with the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (“USC”), UKRO intends to establish in Los Angeles a leading center for research relating to the causes, treatment and prevention of all kidney disease.
The Board of Directors of UKRO consists of Kenneth Kleinberg, President, Benjamin Barbour, M.D., Vice President/Chief Financial Officer, Leslie Chotiner, Secretary, Deana Carter, Bruce Corwin, Suzanne Crowell, Sohan Dua, M.D., Richard Glassock, M.D., Lewis Kleinberg, Dennis L. Kogod, Manfred Mosk, Ph.D., Ammiel Najar, Carol Peters, Stuart Rowlands, Sheldon Saltman, Alan Steigrod, and Joseph P. Van Der Meulen, M.D.
The Medical Scientific Advisory Board is chaired by Vito M. Campese, M.D. and includes Mohammed Akmal, M.D., David Lee, M.D., Alicia McDonough, Ph.D., Mitra Nadim, M.D., Saeid Nasrati, M.D., Isidro Salusky, M.D., Miroslaw Smogorzewski, M.D., Nick Vaziri, M.D. and Alan Yu, M.D.
UKRO has engaged Corrinne Mann of Mann Productions to act as event planner for this event. A tribute book, as well as special packages are being arranged.
Please contact Mann Productions (323) 314-7000
for tickets and more information.
Contact: Kenneth Kleinberg, President/Director
University Kidney Research Organization
or Leslie Chotiner, Secretary/Director
Telephone: (310) 286-3480
Event information including sponsorships,
tribute pages, tables and/or individual tickets:
Mann Productions
Telephone: (323) 314-7000
** Note: UKRO was UKDRA (University Kidney Disease Research Associates) prior to November 2008.