Vikas Dharnidharka, MD, MPH

Dr. Vikas Dharnidharka is the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick. He holds a Henry Rutgers Endowed Professorship and is the Physician-in-Chief for Bristol-Myers-Squibb Children’s Hospital. 

He obtained his MBBS and MD degrees from Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, under Bombay University. He completed pediatric residencies at BYL Nair Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Michigan. He completed his Pediatric Nephrology fellowship training at Children’s Hospital/Harvard University in Boston. Dr. Dharnidharka has published more than 250 papers. He has received NIH grant support continuously since 2004, including a current R01 grant from NIDDK, a U01 grant from NCI and an R34 grant from NIAID branches of the NIH. He is an expert on organ transplantation, especially the infection and cancer complications from immunosuppressive medications. 

Post transplant lymphoproliferative disease/disorders (PTLD), Epstein Barr virus infections, BK virus allograft nephropathy, post-transplant rejection and infection biomarkers, post-transplant cancers, medication adherence, chronic kidney disease, cystatin C and measures of GFR, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, early vascular ageing assessment markers.

1. Chang JC, Atkinson MA, Davies AG, Maltenfort M, Luna IY, Razzaghi H, Dharnidharka VR, Flynn JT, Smoyer WE, Mitsnefes MM, Dixon BP, Gluck CA, Scobell R, Bailey LC, Furth SL, Forrest CB, Denburg MR, Wenderfer SE. Hypertension, proteinuria, and RAAS inhibition use in children with systemic lupus erythematosus: Data from a multi-institutional pediatric learning health system. Lupus. Epublished May 20, 2025, Print version in press. PMID: 40393065
    
2. Eaton CK, Pruette CS, Riekert KA, Yousefzadeh N, Pai AL, Amaral S, Dharnidharka VR, Knäuper B, Smith JM, Furth SL, Foster BJ. Tacrolimus IPV Group Membership Does Not Consistently Track With Electronically Monitored or Self-reported Adherence in Adolescent and Young Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients. Transplant Direct. Epublished May 12, 2025;11(6):e1806. PMID: 40371052
    
3. Kodithuwakku V, Breslin M, Hersant J, Bruno RM, Boutouyrie P, Urbina EM, Gall S, Climie RE; Youth Vascular Consortium collaborators. Establishing Reference Values for Pulse Wave Velocity in Young People. Hypertension. Epublished May 14, 2025. Print version in press. PMID: 40365678
    
4. Glenn DA, Carver AW, Helmuth ME, Smith AR, Lafayette RA, Ravipati P, Oliverio AL, Rizk DV, Novak J, Lugani F, Bartosh SM, Mucha K, Kiryluk K, Saha MK, Nast CC, Hou J, Biederman LE, Messias N, Rosenberg AZ, Reich HN, Canetta PA, Nachman PH, Nester C, Bou-Matar R, Wadhwani S, Mariani LH, Khalid M; CureGN IgA Working Group. Proteinuria Trajectory and Disease Progression in Children and Adults with IgA Nephropathy/Vasculitis.Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. published Apr 10, 2025. Print version in press. PMID: 40208688
    
5. Verghese PS, Bobrowski A, Carter C, Dharnidharka VR, Gattineni J, Goodwin JE, Kershaw DB, Mauch TJ, Nelson R, Subtirelu M, Flynn J, Feig D; ASPN Division Head Interest Group. Pediatric Nephrology Practice in the US: Survey of Pediatric Nephrology Division Directors. Am J Kidney Dis. epublished Apr 4, 2025, Print version in press. PMID: 40189035
    
6. Zanoni F, Marasa M, Carlassara L, Verbitsky M, Khan A, Wang C, Bundy JD, Canetta PA, Bomback AS, Parsa A, Feldman HI, Gharavi AG, Kiryluk K; CRIC Study Investigators and the CureGN Study. Family History in the Context of CKD. J Am Soc Nephrol. Epublished Mar 11, 2025. Print version in press. PMID: 40067412
    
7. Seifert ME, Kho AT, Sheward L, Rodig N, Goldberg S, Diehl M, Zurakowski D, Mannon RB, Dharnidharka VR, Bestard O, Blydt-Hansen TD, Briscoe DM. Combination Automated Microfluidics Measurement of Urine CCL2, CXCL9, CXCL10 and VEGF-A for Monitoring Patients with a Kidney Transplant. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. epublished Mar 11, 2025, PMID: 40067364
    
8. Ghezzo A, Pascale G, Dew MA, Rennick JE, Dabbs AD, Dharnidharka VR, Knäuper B, Mayersohn G, Teoh CW, Phan V, Blydt-Hansen T, Smith J, Foster BJ. Perspectives on Conducting Behavioral Intervention With Adolescents Using a Virtual Platform-A Thematic Analysis From the Viewpoint of Study Coordinators. Pediatr Transplant. 2025;29:e70006, epublished Feb 1, 2025. PMID: 39776082
    
9. Alhasan KA, Raina R, Boyer O, Koh J, Bonilla-Felix M, Sethi SK, Amer YS, Coccia P, Temsah MH, Exantus J, Khan SA, Zhong X, Koch V, Duzova A, Vasudevan A, McCulloch M, Allen U, Filler G, Montini G; International Pediatric Nephrology Association (Dharnidharka VR, contributing author). IPNA clinical practice recommendations on care of pediatric patients with pre-existing kidney disease during seasonal outbreak of COVID-19. Pediatr Nephrol. Epublished Dec 29, 2024. Print version in press, PMID: 39733391
    
10. Ghezzo A, Pascale G, Dew MA, Rennick JE, Dabbs AD, Dharnidharka VR, Knäuper B, Mayersohn G, Teoh CW, Phan V, Blydt-Hansen T, Smith J, Foster BJ. Perspectives on Conducting Behavioral Intervention With Adolescents Using a Virtual Platform-A Thematic Analysis From the Viewpoint of Study Coordinators. Pediatr Transplant. Epublished Jan 9, 2025, Print version 2025;29(1):e70006. PMID: 39776082
     
11. Dandamudi RS, Vyas N, Hmiel SP, Dharnidharka VR. The Creeping Creatinine in a Growing Child With a Kidney Transplant: Distinguishing Progressive Graft Dysfunction From Normal Growth in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients. Pediatr Transplant. 2025 Feb;29(1):e14883. doi: 10.1111/petr.14883.PMID: 39725645
     
12. Dharnidharka VR, Wylie KM, Wylie TN, Ruzinova MB, Goss CW, Storch GA, Mehta-Shah N, Byers D, Walther L, Jaza L, Gu H, Agarwal M, Green M, Moore E, Swerdlow SH, Silveira F, Marks LJ, Gratzinger D, Bagg A, Law SC, Gandhi M. The Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorders-Metagenomic Shotgun Microbial Sequencing (PTLD-MSMS) Study Methods and Protocol. Transplant Direct. Epublished Oct 28 2024; Print version;10(11):e1723. doi: 10.1097/TXD.0000000000001723.  PMID: 39473523
     
13. Sablik M, Sannier A, Raynaud M, Goutaudier V, Divard G, Astor BC, Weng P, Smith J, Garro R, Warady BA, Zahr RS, Twombley K, Dharnidharka VR, Dandamudi RS, Fila M, Huang E, Sellier-Leclerc AL, Tönshoff B, Rabant M, Verine J, Del Bello A, Berney T, Boyer O, Catar RA, Danger R, Giral M, Yoo D, Girardin FR, Alsadi A, Gourraud PA, Morelon E, Le Quintrec M, Try M, Villard J, Zhong W, Bestard O, Budde K, Chauveau B, Couzi L, Brouard S, Hogan J, Legendre C, Anglicheau D, Aubert O, Kamar N, Lefaucheur C, Loupy A. Microvascular Inflammation of Kidney Allografts and Clinical Outcomes. N Engl J Med. Epublished Oct 24, 2024. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2408835. PMID: 39450752
     
14. Sagcal-Gironella ACP, Merritt A, Mizuno T, Dharnidharka VR, McDonald J, DeGuzman M, Wahezi D, Goilav B, Onel K, Kim S, Cody E, Wu EY, Cannon L, Hayward K, Okamura DM, Patel PN, Greenbaum LA, Rouster-Stevens KA, Cooper JC, Ruth NM, Ardoin S, Cook K, Borgia RE, Hersh A, Huang B, Devarajan P, Brunner H. Efficacy and Safety of Pharmacokinetically-Driven Dosing of Mycophenolate Mofetil for the Treatment of Pediatric Proliferative Lupus Nephritis-A Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial (The Pediatric Lupus Nephritis Mycophenolate Mofetil Study). J Clin Trials. 2024;14(4):563. Epublished May 13, 2024. PMID: 39035447
     
15. Dharnidharka VR, Scobell RR, Kallash M, Davies AJG, Marchesani N, Maltenfort MG, Walther L, Kelton M, Bock M, Blanchette E, Stone HK, Gluck C, Hullekes F, Riella LV, Smoyer WE, Mitsnefes M, Dixon BP, Flynn JT, Somers MJG, Forrest CB, Furth S, Denburg MR. Clinical characteristics and favorable treatment responses of recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome in children after kidney transplantation. Pediatr Nephrol. Epublished Jul 13, 2024. doi: 10.1007/s00467-024-06452-z. Print version 2024;39:3317-3331, PMID: 39001911
     
16. Soranno DE, Amaral S, Ashoor I, Atkinson MA, Barletta GM, Braun MC, Carlson J, Carter C, Chua A, Dharnidharka VR, Drake K, Erkan E, Feig D, Goldstein SL, Hains D, Harshman LA, Ingulli E, Kula AJ, Leonard M, Mannemuddhu S, Menon S, Modi ZJ, Moxey-Mims M, Nada A, Norwood V, Starr MC, Verghese PS, Weidemann D, Weinstein A, Smith J. Responding to the workforce crisis: consensus recommendations from the Second Workforce Summit of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology Pediatr Nephrol. Epublished Jul 8, 2024. doi: 10.1007/s00467-024-06410-9. Print version 2024;39:3609-3619, PMID: 38976042
     
17. Aubert O, Ursule-Dufait C, Brousse R, Gueguen J, Racapé M, Raynaud M, Van Loon E, Pagliazzi A, Huang E, Jordan SC, Chavin KD, Gupta G, Kumar D, Alhamad T, Anand S, Sanchez-Garcia J, Abdalla BA, Hogan J, Garro R, Dadhania DM, Jain P, Mandelbrot DA, Naesens M, Dandamudi R, Dharnidharka VR, Anglicheau D, Lefaucheur C, Loupy A. Cell-Free DNA for the detection of kidney allograft rejection. Nature Medicine. 2024;30:2320-27. Epublished Jun 2, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-03087-3. PMID: 38824959
     
18. Allen UD, L'Huillier AG, Bollard CM, Gross TG, Hayashi RJ, Höcker B, Maecker-Kolhoff B, Marks SD, Mazariegos GV, Smets F, Trappe RU, Visner G, Chinnock RE, Comoli P, Danziger-Isakov L, Dulek DE, Dipchand AI, Ferry JA, Martinez OM, Metes DM, Michaels MG, Preiksaitis J, Squires JE, Swerdlow SH, Wilkinson JD, Dharnidharka VR, Green M, Webber SA, Esquivel CO. The IPTA Nashville consensus conference on post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders after solid organ transplantation in children: IV-consensus guidelines for the management of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders in children and adolescents. Pediatr Transplant. Epublished online Aug 2024;28(5):e14781. doi: 10.1111/petr.14781.PMID: 38808744
     
19. Ashoor IF, Al-Akash S, Kizilbash S, Moudgil A, Puliyanda D, Ranabothu S, Shi Y, Dharnidharka VR. Effect of pre-emptive rituximab on EBV DNA levels and prevention of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in pediatric kidney transplant recipients: a case series from the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium. Pediatr Transplant. Epublished April 2, 2024 Print version 2024;28(3):e14743. PMID: 38566336
     
20. Kotton CN, Kamar N, Wojciechowski D, Eder M, Hopfer H, Randhawa P, Sester M, Comoli P, Tedesco Silva H, Knoll G, Brennan DC, Trofe-Clark J, Pape L, Axelrod D, Kiberd B, Wong G, Hirsch HH (Dharnidharka VR, contributing member); Transplantation Society International BK Polyomavirus Consensus Group. The Second International Guidelines on the Management of BK Polyomavirus in Kidney Transplantation. Transplantation. Epublished Apr 12, 2024. Print version 2024;108:1834-1866, PMID: 38605438, PMCID PMC11335089
     
21. Trachtman H, Desmond H, Williams AL, Mariani LH, Eddy S, Ju W, Barisoni L, Ascani HK, Uhlmann WR, Spino C, Holzman LB, Sedor JR, Gadegbeku C, Subramanian L, Lienczewski CC, Manieri T, Roberts SJ, Gipson DS, Kretzler M; NEPTUNE investigators.  Rationale and design of the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE) Match in glomerular diseases: designing the right trial for the right patient, today. Kidney Int. epublished Feb 2024;105(2):218-230. PMID: 38245210. PMCID11090626.
     
22. Twichell S, Ashoor I, Boynton S, Dharnidharka VR, Kizilbash S, Erez DL, Smith J; NAPRTCS Investigators. COVID-19 disease among children and young adults enrolled in the North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies registry. Pediatr Nephrol epublished Dec 11, 2023. PMID: 38082091
     
23. Modi ZJ, Zhai Y, Yee J, Desmond H, Hao W, Sampson MG, Sethna CB, Wang CS, Gipson DS, Trachtman H, Kretzler M; NEPTUNE investigators.  Pediatric contributions and lessons learned from the NEPTUNE cohort study. Pediatr Nephrol. epublished Jan 18, 2024. Print version 2024;39:2555-2568. PMID: 38233720
     
24. McGlynn MC, Brady K, Healey JM, Dharnidharka VR, Ybarra AM, Stoll J, Sweet S, Hayashi RJ. Late effects in survivors of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2024 Feb;71(2):e30777. Epublished Nov 21, 2023. Print version 2024;71:e30777. PMID: 37988230
     
25. Marchel D, Trachtman H, Larkina M, Helmuth M, Lai Yee JY, Fermin D, Bomback AS, Canetta PA, Gipson DS, Mottl AK, Parekh RS, Saha MK, Sampson MG, Lafayette RA, Mariana LH, NEPTUNE and CureGN investigators. The significance of hematuria in podocytopathies. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2024:19:56-66. Epublished Sep 21, 2023. PMID 37733352, PMCID10843204.
     
26. Denburg MR, Razzaghi H, Goodwin Davies AJ, Dharnidharka VR, Dixon BP, Flynn JT, Glenn D, Gluck CA, Harshman L, Jovanovska A, Katsoufis CP, Kratchman AL, Levondosky M, Levondosky R, McDonald J, Mitsnefes M, Modi ZJ, Musante J, Neu AM, Pan CG, Patel HP, Patterson LT, Schuchard J, Verghese PS, Wilson AC, Wong C, Forrest CB. The Preserving Kidney Function in Children With CKD (PRESERVE) Study: Rationale, Design, and Methods. Kidney Med. 2023 Sep 14;5(11):100722. eCollection 2023 Nov. PMID: 37965485
     
27. Slagle C, Menon S, Selewski DT, Starr MC; On behalf Collaborative Co-Authors (Dharnidharka VR). Moving the neonatal nephrology field forward: results from the Pediatric Academic Society Neonatal Nephrology Focus Group. J Perinatol. 2023 Nov 17. Print version 2024;44:441-443. PMID: 37978216 
     
28. Wang CS, Glenn DA, Helmuth M, Smith AR, Bomback AS, Canetta PA, Coppock GM, Khalid M, Tuttle KR, Bou-Matar R, Greenbaum LA, Robinson BM, Holzman LB, Smoyer WE, Rheault MN, Gipson D, Mariani LH; Cure Glomerulonephropathy (CureGN) Study Consortium. Association of COVID-19 Versus COVID-19 Vaccination With Kidney Function and Disease Activity in Primary Glomerular Disease: A Report of the Cure Glomerulonephropathy Study. Am J Kidney Dis. 2023 epublished Aug 30 2023, print version:2023; S0272-6386(23)00773-4. PMID: 37657635
     
29. Ng DK, Matheson MB, Schwartz GJ, Wang FM, Mendley SR, Furth SL, Warady BA; CKiD investigators. Development of an adaptive clinical web-based prediction tool for kidney replacement therapy in children with chronic kidney disease Kidney Int. epublished Jun 28 2023, print version:S0085-2538(23)00474-X. PMID: 37391041
     
30. Stone HK, Mitsnefes M, Dickinson K, Burrows EK, Razzaghi H, Luna IY, Gluck CA, Dixon BP, Dharnidharka VR, Smoyer WE, Somers MJ, Flynn JT, Furth SL, Bailey C, Forrest CB, Denburg M, Nehus E. Clinical course and management of children with IgA vasculitis with nephritis Pediatr Nephrol. 2023; 38(11):3721-3733. Epublished Jun 14 2023. PMID: 37316676
     
31. Preiksaitis J, Allen U, Bollard CM, Dharnidharka VR, Dulek DE, Green M, Martinez OM, Metes DM, Michaels MG, Smets F, Chinnock RE, Comoli P, Danziger-Isakov L, Dipchand AI, Esquivel CO, Ferry JA, Gross TG, Hayashi RJ, Höcker B, L'Huillier AG, Marks SD, Mazariegos GV, Squires J, Swerdlow SH, Trappe RU, Visner G, Webber SA, Wilkinson JD, Maecker-Kolhoff B. The IPTA Nashville Consensus Conference on Post-Transplant lymphoproliferative disorders after solid organ transplantation in children: III - Consensus guidelines for Epstein-Barr virus load and other biomarker monitoring. Pediatr Transplant. Epublished Jun 9, 2023:e14471. doi: 10.1111/petr.14471. PMID: 37294621 
     
32. Amaral S, Schuchard J, Claes D, Dart A, Greenbaum LA, Massengill SF, Atkinson MA, Flynn JT, Dharnidharka VR, Fathallah-Shaykh S, Yadin O, Modi ZJ, Al-Uzri A, Wilson AC, Dell KM, Patel HP, Bruno C, Warady B, Furth S, Forrest CB. Patient-Reported Outcomes Over 24 Months in Pediatric CKD: Findings From the MyKidneyHealth Cohort Study. Am J Kidney Dis. Epublished Mar 7, 2023:S0272-6386(23)00535-8. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2022.12.014. PMID: 36889426
     
33. Gluck CA, Forrest CB, Davies AG, Maltenfort M, Mcdonald JR, Mitsnefes M, Dharnidharka VR, Dixon BP, Flynn JT, Somers MJ, Smoyer WE, Neu A, Hovinga CA, Skversky AL, Eissing T, Kaiser A, Breitenstein S, Furth SL, Denburg MR. Evaluating Kidney Function Decline in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease Using a Multi-Institutional Electronic Health Record Database. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. Print version Feb 1 2023;18(2):173-182. doi: 10.2215/CJN.0000000000000051. Epublished Jan 18, 2023. PMID: 36754006
     

34. Chen DP, Helmuth ME, Smith AR, Canetta PA, Ayoub I, Mucha K, Kallash M, Kopp JB, Gbadegesin R, Gillespie BW, Greenbaum LA, Parekh RS, Hunley TE, Sperati CJ, Selewski DT, Kidd J, Chishti A, Reidy K, Mottl AK, Gipson DS, Srivastava T, Twombley KE; CureGN Consortium. Age of Onset and Disease Course in Biopsy-Proven Minimal Change Disease: An Analysis From the Cure Glomerulonephropathy Network. Am J Kidney Dis. 2023 Jun;81(6):695-706.e1. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2022.11.012. Epublished  Jan 3, 2023. PMID: 36608921

    More publications by Dr. Dharnidharka can be found here: 

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Vikas%20Dharnidharka