Dr. Ajay Kher

Medical Director, Nephrologist

Dr. Ajay Kher is an alumni of AIIMS (MBBS), India’s premier medical institute. He then went to the US and pursued Internal Medicine at Indiana University, USA. He was awarded the Walter J Daly award for the outstanding Internal Medicine Resident. He went to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University and completed his Nephrology and Kidney transplant fellowships.

During this time he also taught Harvard Medical School students and Internal Medicine residents. He was Assistant professor in Medicine at University of Massachusetts before he returned to India and joined Nephrology and Kidney Transplant at Medanta. He then joined the Fortis Escorts Kidney and Urology Institute and helped set up Kidney transplant at Fortis Escorts. He has given numerous lectures in India and abroad on Hypertension, Diabetes, Kidney disease, Dialysis, Kidney Transplant and complex electrolyte disorders. He also has published multiple peer reviewed articles in these areas.

My current focus is to provide comprehensive patient centric care at Epitome Kidney Urology Institute.

Dr. Ajay Kher
Medical Director, Nephrologist

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Rigid Bronchoscopy

Procedure used to open clogged heart arteries and clean them.

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Balloon Bronchoplasty

Procedure used to improve blood flow to your heart.

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Bronchial Stent

Procedure used to open arteries in heart and place stent.

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Pleuroscopy

Procedure that scars tissue in heart to block blood signals.

Dr. Ajay Kher - Senior Consultant - Nephrology - Epitome Hospitals
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Biography details

Medical Qualification

Transplant Fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Transplant Fellowship
Harvard University (2011 – 2012)

Nephrology Fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Nephrology Fellowship Program
Harvard University (2009 – 2011)

Internal Medicine Residency, Internal Medicine Residency Program
Indiana University School of Medicine (2005 – 2008)
Activities and societies: 2007-2008: The Walter J Daly Award for the Outstanding Internal Medicine Resident, Indiana University School of Medicine.

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery – MBBS
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (1998 – 2003)

Teaching Experience

Teacher to Nephrology Fellows at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, USA from 2011-2012 and then at University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA, USA from 2012-2014. DNB Teacher 2015-2016 at Medanta and 2018 at Fortis Escorts. Regular teacher and speaker for Delhi Nephrology Society and at DNB teaching curriculum.

Dec 2019: MGRS and Amyloid: Nephro Conclave, Goa.

Nov 2019: Approach to Hyponatremia and Hypernatremia. Workshop on Fluid, Electrolytes and Acid- base disorder, East Zone Pedicon 2019, SVPPGIP, Cuttack.

Nov 2019: Approach to Calcium and Magnesium Disorders. Workshop on Fluid, Electrolytes and Acid- base disorder, East Zone Pedicon 2019, SVPPGIP, Cuttack.

Nov 2019: ABC of ABG. Workshop on Fluid, Electrolytes and Acid- base disorder, East Zone Pedicon 2019, SVPPGIP, Cuttack.

Sept 2019: Treatment of Acute Rejection for Nepal Nephrology Society, Kathamandu, Nepal

Sept 2019: Complement and Kidney Disease for Nepal Nephrology Society, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sept 2019: Faculty for Postgraduate course in Nephrology on Electrolytes and Acid Base Disorders. Delhi.

Aug 2019: Hyponatremia: Case Based Approach, E- bridge CME.

Aug 2019: Essentials of Anticoagulation in Hemodialysis and CRRT. Pediatric Critical Care Nephrology and Dialysis Course, Gurgaon.

Aug 2019: CRRT Machine Demonstration. Pediatric Critical Care Nephrology and Dialysis Course, Gurgaon.

July 2019: Cardiac Surgery in Kidney Transplant recipients.Dos and Donts. AVATAR 2019, Delhi.

May 2019- present: ECG Course on Whatsapp for physicians.

May 2019 Immunological Workup For Kidney Transplant. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuaQVtP7yaQ

April 2019 Metabolic Alkalosis. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dadS1mf9jZA

Mar 2019 Metabolic Acidosis. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-ne0K2-CxU

Feb 2019 Acid Base Homeostasis. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJEHMGPpJ8c

Feb 2019 HLA typing- is it required in the present era of immunosuppression. West Zone Transplant Conclave, Mumbai.

Dec 2018 A Case of Late Acute Rejection, ISNCON 2018, Bhubaneshwar.

Dec 2018 5 Easy Steps to Mastering ABG. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rthODshKiIg

Nov 2018 Hypokalemia KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs5kXjvz06g

Oct 2018 Hyperkalemia. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HgQ- Mj4IF4

Sep 2018 Clinical Immunology for Kidney Transplant, Delhi NCR Nephrology PG students, Delhi.

Sep 2018 Post Kidney Transplant Immune Monitoring. Advances in Immune Monitoring (AIM), BLK Hospital, New Delhi.

Sep 2018 Basics of Potassium handling. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f95gMiewYKI

Aug 2018 Hypernatremia and Polyuria. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlwMR8-dT6U

Aug 2018 Anticoagulation in Dialysis, Critical Care Pediatric Nephrology & Pediatric Dialysis Course, Lalit, New Delhi.

Aug 2018 Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) Machine Demonstration. Critical Care Pediatric Nephrology & Pediatric Dialysis Course, Lalit, New Delhi.

Jul 2018 Hyponatremia. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq1T63Co4m4

Jun 2018 Basics of Water and Sodium Physiology. KERN Webinar, Video @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFVAO312HY4

May 2018 Hypertension, CKD and CVD. Hypertension Conclave, Delhi.

Feb 2018 Treatment of BKV Nephropathy, NZISNCON, Chokhi Dhani, Jaipur.

Dec 2017 Treating a case of T cell mediated and CABMR with TG like changes. ISNCON 2017, Delhi.

Oct 2017 Water treatment for dialysis. Pre-conference, Indian Society of Pediatric Nephrology, Medanta, Gurgaon

Oct 2017 Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) Machine Demonstration. Pre-conference, Indian Society of Pediatric Nephrology, Medanta, Gurgaon

May 2017 Acid Base: How to assess: Critical care residents, Fortis Escorts.

May 2017 Acid Base Disorders to Nephrology Postgraduate CME of Delhi/NCR.

April 2017 Antibiotic dosing in Dialysis, Nephro Conclave, Goa.

Mar 2017 Immunological workup in Sensitized and non sensitized recipients.

Mar 2017 Immunological workup in Sensitized and non sensitized recipients. SRL transplant Conclave, Delhi.

Feb 2017 Electrolyte Disorders: case based discussion. Post graduate CME, Delhi.

Feb 2017 Cardio renal syndrome- nephrologists perspective. Goa.

Dec 2016 Choice of Fluids in Critically Ill patients with Acute Kidney Injury, ISNCON 2016, Mumbai.

Nov 2016 Immune workup for transplant. Update on kidney transplantation – a practical approach 2016, New Delhi

May 2016 Water Treatment in Dialysis, International Neonatal and Pediatric Dialysis course, Gurgaon

Dec 2015 Electronic Health Records in Nephrology. ISNCON 2015, Bengaluru, India.

August 2015 Hyponatremia- case based approach, Delhi Nephrology society Graduate education CME.

August 2015 Hyponatremia: Medanta Grand rounds, Medanta- Medicity Gurgaon.

Jan 2015 Hyponatremia- case based approach: NZISNCON (North Zone Indian Society of Nephrology Conference, Agra.

 2014 Lectures to Nephrology fellows at University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center on Crossmatch and Tissue typing, Living donor evaluation, Transplant Recipient evaluation, Infections in transplant, Malignancy in Transplant.

 2014 Lectures to Medicine residents on Immunosuppression, Acid Base, Hyponatremia, Acute Kidney Injury, ESRD, Bone mineral metabolism.

2013 Lectures to Nephrology fellows at University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center on Crossmatch and Tissue typing, Living donor evaluation, Transplant Recipient evaluation, Infections in transplant, Malignancy in Transplant.

2012 Lecture on Post Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders (PTLD) to transplant nurses at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

2012 Lectures to Nephrology fellows at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on Crossmatch and Tissue typing, Living donor evaluation, Transplant Recipient evaluation, Infections in transplant, Malignancy in Transplant.

2010-2012 Associate Academy Member of Academy of Medical Education at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

2010-2012 Weekly teaching rounds to Internal medicine residents on topics related to acid-base, electrolytes, transplantation and nephrology.

2010 Lecture on Hyponatremia to Hospitalists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

2010 Preceptor to medical students for Patient/Doctor II.

2009-2011 Teaching Harvard medical students during small group sessions as a tutor for Renal Pathophysiology Course.

Posters

Dec 2017 Mirror mirror on the wall: which is the best immunological test of them all? Ajay Kher, Pranav Dorwal, Ashwini Gadde, Ashish Nandwani, Shyam B Bansal, Pranaw Jha, Dinesh Bansal, Manish Jain, Reetesh Sharma, Vijay Kher. ISNCON 2017, Delhi.

Dec 2017 Sensitization History: good and cheap but not perfect discriminator of sensitization. Ajay Kher, Pranav Dorwal, Ashwini Gadde, Ashish Nandwani, Shyam B Bansal, Pranaw Jha, Dinesh Bansal, Manish Jain, Reetesh Sharma, Vijay Kher. ISNCON 2017, Delhi.

Nov 2016 Related but not matched, matched but not related: conundrums of using HLA typing to prove relationships. Ajay Kher, Pranaw Jha, Pranav Dorwal, Vijay Kher.2nd prize in posters. ISNCON 2016, Mumbai.

Nov 2016 Blindspots in HLA antibody Testing. Ajay Kher, Pranav Dorwal, Vijay Kher. 2nd prize oral presentation. ISNCON 2016, Mumbai.

June 2016 Blindspots in HLA antibody testing: Recognition is first step to nirvana. Ajay Kher, Pranav Dorwal, Vijay Kher. Oral presentation at American Transplant Congress, Boston, MA.

June 2012 Reimbursement for living kidney donor followup care: How often does donor insurance pay? Kher A, Rodrigue JR, AjaimyM, Wasilewski M, Ladin K, Mandelbrot DA. Presented at American Transplant Congess, Boston, MA. Awarded Poster of Distinction.

Nov 2011 Sodium myoinositol transporter–1 knockout mice are not at increased risk for osmotic renal injury. Kher A, Ghosh CC, Tran M, Buccafusca R, Berry GT, Karumanchi SA, Parikh SM. Presented at American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week, Philadelphia, PA.

Research Experience

July 2009- June 2011 Research Fellow. Principal Investigator: Samir M Parikh, MD, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA. Investigating role of PGC-1α in acute kidney injury and investigating a biomarker to make early diagnosis of acute renal failure.

June 2004 – June 2005 Research Associate. Principal Investigator: Daniel R. Meldrum, MD, Section of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery and Indiana Center for Vascular Biology and Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN. Investigating gender differences in the myocardial response to acute injury and the mechanisms of myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury. I also conducted a study on the effect of aprotinin on renal ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

Journal Publications

Jha PK, Bansal SB, Rana A, Nandwani A, Kher A, Sethi S, Jain M, Bansal D, Yadav DK, Gadde A, Mahapatra AK, Sodhi P, Ahlawat R, Kher V. ABO Incompatible Kidney transplantation in India: A single center experience of first hundred cases. Indian J Nephrol 2022; 32(1):42-46.

Jha PK, Rana A, Kher A, Bansal SB, Sethi S, Nandwani A, Jain M, Bansal D, Yadav DK, Gadde A, Mahapatra AK, Sodhi P, Kher V. Graflon vs Thymoglobulin as an induction agent in renal transplantation – a retrospective study. Indian J Nephrol 2021; 31(4):336-40

Kher A, Kher V. Prevention and Therapy of AKI in Asia: A Big Challenge. Semin Nephrol 2020;40(5):477-88.

Kher A, Kher V. Utility or futility of interleukin 2 receptor antagonist (IL2RA) induction in kidney transplants- the devil is in the detail. Transpl Intl; 2019: 32(8):794-6

Jha P, Nandwani A, Kher A, Bansal SB, Sethi S, Sharma R, Jain M, Yadav DK, Bansal D, Duggal R, Ahlawat R, Kher V. ABO- incompatible renal transplantation: The journey so far on a road less traveled. Indian J Transplant; 2018: 12:177-81.

Poyan mehr A, Tran MT, Ralto KM, Leaf DE, Washco V, Mesmer J, Lerner A, Kher A, Kim SH, Khoury CC, Herzig SJ, Trovato ME, Simon-Tillaux M, Lynch MR, Thadani RI, Clish CB, Khabbaz KR, Rhee EP, Waikar SS, Berg AH, Parikh SM. Denovo NAD+-biosynthetic impairment in acute kidney injury in humans. Nat Med 2018;24(9): 1351-9.

Kher A, Agarwal A, Jha P, Bansal D, Madken M, Narula AS, Khurana R, Kher V. Anti A/B Antibody Titer Rebound: Are We Making It Worse? Be Aware Of Your Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG). Indian J Nephrol 2018; 28(5):407-9.

Kher A. Allocation based on virtual crossmatch alone: not yet ready for primetime. Am J Transplant. 2016:12:3577

Kher A, Kher V. Optimizing twice weekly dialysis-converting two-star into five-star treatment? Indian J Nephrol 2015; 25(6):326-7

Kher A. Tolvaptan in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. N Engl J Med.2013; 368(13):1257- 8

Kher A, Rodrigue JR, Ajaimy M, Wasilewski M, Ladin K, Mandelbrot DA. Reimbursement for living kidney donor follow-up care: how often does donor insurance pay? Transplantation. 2012; 94(10):1049- 51

Kher A, Raven KE, Kushner YB, Mandelbrot DA. Fever, abdominal pain and renal failure in a kidney transplant recipient. Am J Transplant. 2013;13(2):518-20.

Pavlakis M, Kher A. Pre-emptive kidney transplantation to improve survival in patients with Type 1 diabetes and imminent risk of ESRD. Semin Nephrol. 2012; 32(5):505-11.

Kher A, Kher V. Immunotherapy in renal diseases. Med Clin N Am. 2012;96(3):545-64.

Kher A, Mandelbrot DA. The living kidney donor evaluation: focus on renal issues. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012; 7(2): 366-71.

Tran M, Tam D, Bardia A, Bhasin M, Rowe GC, Kher A, Zsengeller ZK, Akhavan-Sharif MR, Khankin EV,Saintgeniez M, David S, Burstein D, Karumanchi SA, Stillman IE, Arany Z, Parikh SM. PGC-1α promotes recovery after acute kidney injury during systemic inflammation in mice. J Clin Invest. 2011;121(10):4003-4014.

Kher A, Wang M, Tsai BM, Pitcher JM, Greenbaum ES, Nagy RD, Patel KM, Wairiuko GM, Markel TA, Meldrum DR. Sex differences in the myocardial inflammatory response to acute injury. Shock. 2005;23(1):1-10.

Kher A, Meldrum KK, Hile KL, Wang M, Tsai BM, Turrentine MW, Brown JW, Meldrum DR. Aprotinin improves kidney function and decreases tubular cell apoptosis and proapoptotic signaling after renal ischemia/reperfusion. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2005; 130 (3): 662-9.

Kher A, Meldrum KK, Wang M, Tsai BM, Pitcher JM, Meldrum DR. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of sex differences in renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Cardiovasc Res. 2005; 67(4):594- 603.

Tsai BM, Wang M, Pitcher JM, Kher A, Meldrum DR. Disparate IL-1beta and iNOS gene expression in the aorta and pulmonary artery after endotoxemia. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2006;7(1):21-7.

Wang M, Tsai BM, Kher A, Baker LB, Wairiuko GM, Meldrum DR. The role of endogenous testosterone in myocardial proinflammatory and proapoptotic signaling after acute ischemia-reperfusion. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2005;288(1):H221-6.

Meldrum DR, Wang M, Tsai BM, Kher A, Pitcher JM, Brown JW, Meldrum KK. Intracellular signaling mechanisms of sex hormones in acute myocardial inflammation and injury. Front Biosci. 2005;10:1835- 67.

Tsai BM, Wang M, Pitcher JM, Kher A, Meldrum DR. Endothelium-dependent pulmonary artery vasorelaxation is dysfunctional in males but not females following acute lung injury. Surgery. 2005; 138(1):78-84.

Pitcher JM, Tsai BM, Wang M, Kher A, Brown JW, Meldrum DR. Sexual dimorphism in myocardial tumor necrosis factor alpha and cardiac function during endotoxin tolerance. Surgery. 2005,138(2):223- 8.

Pitcher JM, Wang M, Tsai BM, Kher A, Turrentine MW, Brown JW, Meldrum DR. Preconditioning: gender effects. J Surg Res. 2005 Dec;129(2):202-20.

Tsai BM, Wang M, Pitcher JM, Kher A, Crisostomo P, Meldrum DR. Zaprinast attenuates hypoxic pulmonary artery injury and causes less aorta relaxation than milrinone. Shock. 2005 Nov;24(5):417-420

Pitcher JM, Wang M, Tsai BM, Kher A, Nelson NT, Meldrum DR. Endogenous estrogen mediates a higher threshold for endotoxin-induced myocardial protection in females.. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2006 Jan;290(1):R27-33.

Pitcher JM, Nagy RD, Tsai BM, Wang M, Kher A, Meldrum DR. Is the preconditioning threshold different in females? J Surg Res. 2005;125(2):168-72.h

Previous Work Experience

January 2021 – Present Medical Director, Epitome Kidney Urology Institute and Lions Hospital
August 2018- Present: Director, Vishwasth Healthcare Private Limited.
February 2020- December 2020 Principal Consultant, Max Hospital, Vaishali.
February 2019- October 2019: Senior Consultant and Head of Department, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Medicine, Primus Super Specialty Hospital, Chankyapuri, Delhi.
April 2016- July 2018: Senior Consultant, Fortis Escorts, Kidney and Urology Institute, New Delhi, Delhi.
March 2015- March 2016: Consultant, Nephrology, Medanta Kidney & Urology Institute, Medanta-The Medicity, Gurgaon, India.
August 2012- December 2014: Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, MA.
July 2011-June 2012: Transplant Fellow, Nephrology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
2010: Board Certification in American Board of Internal Medicine in Nephrology
July 2008 – June 2011: Fellow, Nephrology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.
2008: Board Certification in American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine
June 2005 – June 2008: Resident, Internal medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
August 1998 – December 2003: MBBS at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.