Prof Austin Stack

Austin Stack is Professor and Foundation Chair of Medicine at the School of Medicine, University of Limerick and Consultant Nephrologist at University Hospital Limerick in Ireland. He received his medical degree from University College Dublin and completed his medical residency at the Mater University Hospital, followed by a combined clinical and research fellowship programme at the University of Michigan, USA. He trained in epidemiology and health outcomes research at the Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Centre (KECC), University of Michigan, and the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) Coordinating Centre and was Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, Texas, USA. He is a fellow of the American Society of Nephrology and Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.

Professor Stack’s research has addressed the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI) in health systems, and their impact on clinical outcomes. He has a particular interest in modifiable risk factors for CKD including anaemia, iron deficiency, hyperuricaemia, dyskalaemia and their links with cardiovascular disease. He leads several national studies funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) that examine the burden, progression of CKD, and the impact of CKD and AKI in health systems. More recently, his research programme has been funded to tackle the challenges associated with transitioning of care from advanced CKD to dialysis and explore sex disparities in CKD.

Professor Stack leads the development of the Irish National Kidney Disease Surveillance System, and co-investigator the US CKD Surveillance System with the University of Michigan and University California San Francisco (UCSF). Concurrently, with international partners, he is active in global clinical trials that investigate the impact of novel therapies for the prevention of kidney disease.

Professor Stack serves on the editorial board for major journals and sits on several national and international steering committees and advisory groups. His work has been funded by the American Heart Association (AHA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Irish Health Research Board (HRB), and Enterprise Ireland (EI). He also serves as a reviewer for Wellcome Trust UK, Chief Scientist Office for Research Scotland, and National Institutes of Health.