Irma Tchokhonelidze, MD
Irma Tchokhonelidze graduated from The Tbilisi State Medical University (TSMU) in 1991 during the collapse of the Georgian economy. She started her activity in the National Center of Urology hemodialysis unit, as no specialty “nephrology” existed. In 1995-1997yy, she was trained in Germany at KfH Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis centers, also at Duesseldorf University Hospital under the mentorship of Prof. B. Grabensee in Clinical Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation. Since that, she has initiated: the start of kidney biopsies and the development of the nephrology-pathology service in the country; the implementation of PD modality; the transition from acetate to bicarbonate dialysate in hemodialysis centers; foundation and leadership of “Dialysis, Nephrology, and Kidney Transplantation Union of Georgia”; official recognition and licensing “nephrology”, as a separate subject, and establishment of the three-year-postgraduate training program in nephrology at TSMU. During 2006-2015 she was an assistant professor in Internal Medicine at TSMU. In 2015 she continued her activity as an associate professor. From 2021 until now, she has worked as a full professor and leads the faculty of Internal Medicine/Nephrology at TSMU. In 2011 she became the clinical director of the Nephrology Development Clinical Center at TSMU and High Medical Technology University Clinic and continued her current activity in this position. Prof. Tchokhonelidze has acted as a local Principal Investigator in several clinical multicenter trials (APO-EPO-02; AUR-vCS-2012-01; 1517-CL-0608; 1517-CL-0613; 1517-CL-0610; MOR202C205, ZENITH-CKD).
Prof. Tchokhonelidze was the International Society of Nephrology councilor during 2011-2017. In 2014-2019, she served as the ISN NIS&Russia Regional Board Chair. Since 2021 she has become the ISN Dialysis Working Group Deputy Chair. She is also the ISN Educational Working Group and International Home Dialysis Consortium Steering Committee member.
Prof. Tchokhonelidze is mainly concentrated on clinical practice, implementation, and advancement of all aspects of nephrology services in the country. She is recognized as a founder of nephrology in Georgia.
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