WashU Nephrology Well Represented at NBLU 2025
By Cynthia Ritter • August 29, 2025
WashU Nephrology was proudly represented at the 2025 Nephrology Business Leadership University (NBLU) session, recently held in Plano, Texas.
Current 2nd-year fellows, Ramayee Nadarajan,MBBS, and AbdulMoid Shehzad, MBBS, graduated from the course. Yasir Baloch, MD, a former WashU Nephrology fellow who recently joined our faculty, returned to NBLU as a facilitator.
Now in its tenth year, NBLU welcomed senior fellows from across the country to explore the business, leadership, and innovative side of nephrology. The program is hands-on, highly interactive, and provides real-world insights and practical knowledge. Attendees leave the NBLU program with a strong understanding of how the business side of nephrology fits into the complex and evolving healthcare landscape, along with invaluable networking opportunities. The week-long session is hosted through a collaboration of U.S. Renal Care, the University of California San Diego, and the Dallas Renal Group.
After arriving in Dallas, Dr. Shehzad was immediately immersed in the NBLU experience, connecting with fellows and world-class nephrologists, many of whom he now considers family.
“I had been hearing about NBLU from Dr. Baloch, so I reached out to the leadership even before applications opened. Although I come from a fellowship with six fellows and a large nephrology team, NBLU introduced me to the entire nephrology ecosystem.
AbdulMoid Shehzad
“If you want to learn about the business side of nephrology, this is the right place to be. My only regret is not being able to participate again as a fellow. NBLU is not a conference; it’s a link to the rest of the nephrology world. I strongly encourage all upcoming second-year fellows to apply.”
Dr. Nadarajan was equally enthusiastic about the event.
“I think NBLU was a fantastic experience for learning about the aspects of private practice nephrology, but it was also very useful for those who want to go into academic practice. It was so much fun to meet fellows from all over the country, as well as current leaders in nephrology, and learn about their career paths.”
Ramayee Nadarajan
Dr. Yasir Baloch attended NBLU as an alumnus and faculty member. Recognized for his social media expertise during his attendance at NBLU 2024, he was invited to serve as a facilitator to help guide the next cohort of fellows in navigating the future of nephrology. He also co-led a session with Dr. Matthew Sparks (Duke University) to discuss the evolving landscape of nephrology education, leadership, and social media – along with the challenges that come with it. (Don’t miss Baloch’s reflections on the value of NBLU in the video featured at the end of this article.)
“I spoke on the importance of creating content, collaborating with peers from different institutes and specialties. I shared examples from my own journey, including projects such as the WashU Nephrology Instagram page, recruitment efforts, and videos.”
Yasir Baloch
In addition to a full slate of lectures, networking opportunities, and a Shark Tank-style team-building competition (where Shehzad’s team, Honolulu, took second prize!), the fellows had the chance to unwind with a spirited table tennis tournament and some crowd-pleasing karaoke to close out the week.
Follow on X: @Myasirbaloch and @Nephro_Sparks. Photo credits: Drs. AbdulMoid Shehzad and Yasir Baloch.