Kim Solez (born 1946) is an American pathologist and co-founder of the

Banff Classification The Banff Classification is a schema for nomenclature and classification of kidney transplant pathology, established in 1991 by Kim Solez and Lorraine C. Racusen in Banff, Canada. The initiative was "inspired by the then recent development of a co ...

, the first standardized international classification for renal allograft biopsies. He is also the founder of the

Banff Foundation for Allograft Pathology The Banff Foundation for Allograft Pathology also known as the Banff Foundation for Transplant Pathology is a nonprofit Swiss foundation which aims to "lead development and dissemination of the international Banff Classification of Allograft P ...

Background

Kim Solez obtained his M.D. with AOA honours from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and trained in pathology at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland where he was mentored in

renal pathology Renal pathology is a subspecialty of anatomic pathology that deals with the diagnosis and characterization of medical diseases (non-tumor) of the kidneys. In the academic setting, renal pathologists work closely with nephrologists and transplan ...

Robert Heptinstall Robert H. "Heppy" Heptinstall (20 July 1920 – 5 January 2021) was an English pathologist specialising in renal pathology. He was the chair of the department of pathology at Johns Hopkins Hospital for 19 years. Career Heptinstall was born in Gre ...

. He joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins and in 1987 became chairman of the Department of Pathology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. In 1991, he established the

, the first standardized, international classification for renal allograft biopsies, with Johns Hopkins pathologist Lorraine Racusen. The Banff Classification, updated in regular intervals, continues to "set standards worldwide for how biopsies from kidney and other solid organ transplants are interpreted". As chair of the

International Society of Nephrology The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) is an organization concerned with kidney health, founded in 1960. In 1992 the society formed a task force to provide emergency kidney dialysis services in areas struck by disasters (usually earthquak ...

(ISN) Commission on Acute Renal Failure, from 1989 to 1997, Solez started the ISN Disaster Relief Task Force, a worldwide network of experts working closely with

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; pronounced ), known in some English-speaking settings as Doctors Without Borders, is a charity that provides humanitarian medical care. It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) of French origin known for its projects in conflict zo ...

"to provide essential medical care to people in the wake of natural disasters". In 1997, Solez worked to end the mysterious Haitian diethylene glycol poisonings, where the contaminated production of cough syrup lead to acute renal failure in 109 Haitian children. Solez was included in the 60 Minutes coverage of the investigation. In 2002, Solez founded Leonard Cohen Night, an Edmonton-local artistic event celebrating the work of Canadian singer-songwriter

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...

, and in 2008 co-organized the Leonard Cohen International Festival. In 2010, Solez completed the

Singularity University Singularity Education Group (using the public names Singularity Group, Singularity University or SingularityU) is an American company that offers executive educational programs, a business incubator, and business consultancy services. Although t ...

Executive Course, and in 2011 pioneered a unique graduate level medical course Technology and the Future of Medicine at the University of Alberta. Solez has led the University of Alberta's involvement in the creation and further development of a unique medical school in Nepal devoted to rural health

Patan Academy of Health Sciences Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) () is an autonomous, not-for-profit, public institution of higher education established in 2008 with the charter granted by the Parliament of Nepal. The stated aim of the PAHS is to work in close partnersh ...

. Solez continues work as a Pathologist at the University of Alberta, as well as Professor and Director of Experimental Pathology in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

Career

*Associate Professor of Pathology and Medicine,

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1893 following the construction of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the ...

(1983–87) *Professor and Chairman, Department of Pathology,

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

(1987–92) *Director, Anatomical Pathology,

University of Alberta Hospital The University of Alberta Hospital (UAH) is a research and teaching hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Alberta and run by Alberta Health Services, the health authority for Alberta. It is one o ...

(1987–92) *Pathologist, University of Alberta Hospital (1987-). *Professor, Director - Experimental Pathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta (1992-)

Organizations

Publications

*Over 230 journal articles. *Acute Renal Failure: Correlations Between Morphology and Function (1984) *Kidney Transplant Rejection - Diagnosis and Treatment (1986) *International Review of Experimental Pathology (multiple editions) *Acute Renal Failure: Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention (1991) *Organ Transplantation: Long-Term Results (1992) *Solid Organ Transplant Rejection: Mechanisms, Pathology, and Diagnosis (1996)

Awards

National Kidney Foundation The National Kidney Foundation, Inc. (NKF) is a voluntary nonprofit health organization in the United States, headquartered in New York City. Its mission is to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of indiv ...

Fellowship, 1976-77. *National Kidney Foundation International Distinguished Medal, 2009. *University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Tier 1 Clinical Mentoring Award, 2016. *Catalan Society for Transplantation Gold Medal, 2017 *American Society of Transplantation Fellowship, FAST designation 2020.

External links

Video Legacy Project founded by Kim Solez and

Stewart Cameron (nephrologist) John Stewart Cameron (5 July 1934 – 30 July 2023) was a British nephrologist. Biography John Stewart Cameron was born in Aberdeen, Scotland on 5 July 1934. He undertook his medical training at Guy's Hospital and spent the large part of his ...

in 1990 *Technology and Future of Medicine Course LABMP 590 at the University of Alberta created in 2011 *Doctor Kim's The Future and All That Jazz musical and poetic spinoff of the LABMP 590 course with singer Mallory Chipman is planning an album release for June 20th, 2025.

References

External links

*http://banfffoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/The-Banff-classification-revisited.pdf * *https://www.myast.org/meetings/atc-2020/fellow-american-society-transplantation-fast-inductees *https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/from-the-archives-u-of-a-professor-prepares-students-for-a-time-when-machines-are-more-intelligent-than-people *https://www.mallorychipmanmusic.com *https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/music/genre-hopping-mallory-chipman-named-epls-first-ever-musician-in-residence *https://www.macewan.ca/campus-life/news/2023/05/news-chipman-bird-songs-23/ *https://mollylittle.myportfolio.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Solez, Kim American pathologists Academic staff of the University of Alberta Living people 1946 births Oberlin College alumni