Dr. Michelle A. Josephson specializes in transplant nephrology. Her career has focused on improving access to kidney transplantation and addressing medical complications of kidney transplant.
Dr. Josephson serves as Director of Education for the Transplant Institute and Program Director of the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship. After receiving her MD from University of Pennsylvania she completed a medical internship, residency and nephrology fellowship at University of Chicago. She acquired additional training in medical education, completing the University of Chicago MERITS fellowship
In 1992 she founded the Transplant Nephrology Program serving as Medical Director till 2023 and in 2001 established the Transplant Nephrology Fellowship at University of Chicago, the first Transplant Nephrology Fellowship in Illinois.
Dr, Josephson’s scholarship focuses on the live kidney donor, post-transplant bone disease, BK virus, women’s health in chronic kidney diseases, and pregnancy in the transplant recipient. She has over 140 publications and has given over 200 invited talks nationally and internationally.
Dr. Josephson has been recognized with awards from the University of Chicago Department of Medicine for Excellence in Medical Education and Clinical Care as well as the Distinguished Service Award, National Kidney Foundation of Illinois for Community Leadership, American Society of Transplantation for Mentorship, Hong Kong Society of Nephrology, the Biological Science Division at University of Chicago with the Michael Reese Lectureship Distinguished Faculty Award, and American Society of Nephrology with the Barbara T Murphy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Over the past three decades Dr. Josephson has been a leading figure in transplant nephrology. She co-organized and co-chaired a multidisciplinary American Society of Transplantation consensus conference that developed clinical practice guidelines on the management of the pregnant transplant recipient. She was a member of the Kidney Diseases Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) international work group that wrote “Care of the Transplant Recipient Guidelines.” She co-chaired KDIGO’s Controversies Conference on “Challenges in Management of the Kidney Allograft: From Decline to Failure.” She served on the KDIGO Board of Councilors, was a Councilor on the American Society of Transplantation (AST) Board, President of Women in Nephrology and President of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). She currently serves on the Executive Committee of KDIGO.
Pancreas Transplant Training in U.S. Transplant Nephrology Fellowships: National Survey of Current Barriers and Potential Solutions.
Pancreas Transplant Training in U.S. Transplant Nephrology Fellowships: National Survey of Current Barriers and Potential Solutions. Clin Transplant. 2026 Sep; 40(9):e70674.
PMID: 42717631
Germany's Move Toward Kidney Paired Exchange and Nondirected Donation: Governance Lessons From Abroad.
Germany's Move Toward Kidney Paired Exchange and Nondirected Donation: Governance Lessons From Abroad. Kidney Int Rep. 2026 Sep; 11(9):106698.
PMID: 42598480
Impact of Prior Adverse Pregnancy Outcome on Kidney Structure and Function in Kidney Donors.
Impact of Prior Adverse Pregnancy Outcome on Kidney Structure and Function in Kidney Donors. Kidney360. 2026 Jul 01.
PMID: 42384456
Elevations in Donor-Derived Cell-Free DNA and Allograft Outcomes in Kidney Transplantation.
Elevations in Donor-Derived Cell-Free DNA and Allograft Outcomes in Kidney Transplantation. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2026 Jun 16.
PMID: 42302101
Is the Current Practice of Out-of-Sequence Kidney Allocation Justified? Assessing Outcomes, Utility, Efficiency, and Equity.
Is the Current Practice of Out-of-Sequence Kidney Allocation Justified? Assessing Outcomes, Utility, Efficiency, and Equity. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2026 Apr 01; 21(4):541-543.
PMID: 41817589
Pregnancy, Where Assisted Reproductive Technology and Transplant Science Intersect.
Pregnancy, Where Assisted Reproductive Technology and Transplant Science Intersect. Transplantation. 2025 Dec 01; 109(12):1825-1826.
PMID: 40958147
Interventions to Improve Life Participation in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review.
Interventions to Improve Life Participation in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review. Kidney Med. 2025 Apr; 7(4):100980.
PMID: 40212318
In Reply to "ACGME Accreditation for Transplant Nephrology Training: Clarifying Why This Is a Step in the Right Direction".
In Reply to "ACGME Accreditation for Transplant Nephrology Training: Clarifying Why This Is a Step in the Right Direction". Am J Kidney Dis. 2025 Apr; 85(4):527-528.
PMID: 39580067
ACGME Accreditation for Transplant Nephrology Training: Clarifying Why This Is a Step in the Right Direction.
ACGME Accreditation for Transplant Nephrology Training: Clarifying Why This Is a Step in the Right Direction. Am J Kidney Dis. 2025 Apr; 85(4):527.
PMID: 39571927
Prostate cancer and solid organ transplantation: patient management and outcomes.
Prostate cancer and solid organ transplantation: patient management and outcomes. BJU Int. 2025 Feb; 135(2):339-345.
PMID: 39385314