Published on: 21 August 2025
A University of Sunderland medical student has been recognised at the UK’s largest conference for the professional kidney community.
The UK Kidney Week (UKKW) conference is an annual scientific, educational, and networking meeting of the UK Kidney Association. It is renowned for its up-to-date research, state-of-the-art lectures, and diverse symposia, presentations and workshops.
The event provides an exceptional opportunity for all kidney professionals to engage with colleagues and network with experts.
They can also explore the latest research and technological innovations that will shape the future of kidney-related healthcare.
Shahmir Rashid is now in his fifth year studying Medicine at Sunderland.
He was invited to join a research project led by Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing and Consultant Nephrologist at our Trust, Dr Sarah McCloskey.
Shahmir Rashid giving a presentation at the UK Kidney Week (UKKW) conference at the International Centre in Bournemouth.
The project tested a new system that automatically calculates and reports a patient’s risk of kidney failure by using a tool called Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE).
KFRE estimates the likelihood of someone with chronic kidney disease needing kidney replacement therapy, such as dialysis or transplant, within the next two or five years.
According to Sarah and her team of researchers, KFRE has had little uptake outside of secondary care nephrology. This is despite its use being recommended in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
Prior to KFRE, NICE recommended patients were referred to secondary care when their kidney function dropped below a certain level, below an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 30.
The eGFR calculation is used to estimate how well a patient’s kidneys are filtering waste from their blood. However, this is a snapshot in time for that patient and cannot be used alone to determine whether a patient will have progressive kidney disease.
KFRE considers a patient’s age, sex, eGFR and the amount of protein in their urine to provide an individual risk of reaching end stage kidney disease rather than relying on an isolated eGFR value.
Shahmir said:
"What was very interesting is that we found that the old system was missing patients that were high risk (as determined by KFRE).
"Our results showed that the KFRE makes more accurate referrals and picks up on patients that would have previously been missed using the old guidelines. Early identification allows for essential early intervention.
"The scores generated from this new system aim to help doctors decide which patients need to be referred to a kidney specialist.
"By building KFRE into the electronic system, we made it easier for doctors to follow updated national guidance.
"We then looked at how easy the system was to use and whether it led to more high-risk patients being referred, in other words, did it work?"
Shahmir was tasked with writing and submitting an abstract – or a concise summary of the research – to the UKKW.
Shahmir delivered a presentation at conference, which took place at the International Centre in Bournemouth, and won a prize for the quality of the abstract he submitted.
Shahmir, 24, from East London, said:
"I feel honoured and proud, as it is a huge accomplishment for me.
"Standing up in front of 100 people and giving a presentation is a big deal for me. Now having done it, I feel more confident doing it the future. It will also go towards my application for speciality training in the future."
Shahmir, who is due to graduate in June 2026, has ambitions to become a nephrologist, which is a medical doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating kidney conditions.
Sarah added:
"Shahmir impressed me from the outset with his motivation and enthusiasm for renal medicine whilst undertaking his placement in Sunderland. He did a fantastic job on the project and was keen to present the work. His abstract was selected as an oral presentation at the national UKKW meeting, which is a great achievement in itself.
"On the day his presentation was brilliant and a proud moment for the north-east. To also receive an award is amazing, very well deserved and a reflection of all the hard work and effort he has put into this project."
Professor Scott Wilkes, Head of the School of Medicine and Professor of General Practice and Primary Care at the University of Sunderland, said:
"I’m delighted to see Shahmir’s success on the national stage. He has taken advantage of every opportunity during his studies at the medical school and justly deserves this excellent award.
"It’s great to see the research that he presented, which is extremely relevant to my day-to-day clinical practice, having such potential for better patient outcomes.
"These sort of experiences and role models in clinical academic practice can often be career defining. Well done Shahmir and the project team."
For more information on studying Medicine at the University of Sunderland, visit this page: Medicine MBChB
