In October 2024, Pranav Parikh ’25 presented at the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week Conference in San Diego, California, which is considered the world’s premier nephrology conference. 

Parikh had been a research intern in a Johns Hopkins kidney disease lab from December 2023 to August 2024, working directly in the lab for a couple weeks to conduct a urine analysis research project using samples from five ICU patients at multiple time intervals to observe changes in the cellular components. He utilized the lab’s state-of-the-art IDEXX SediVue Dx Urine Sediment Analyzer, which was being used “for a lot of novel experiments and applications,” Parikh said. His work continued remotely for a year as he prepared his poster for the conference and wrote a full paper that was published in BMC Nephrology, a peer-reviewed journal. His name is listed as the first author. His stated conclusion: “Timely urine analysis is necessary for accurate results as delayed analysis can considerably change the makeup of urine, which can affect clinical decisions and patient management.”

“The presentation went really well. It was such a cool experience to explain my research and discuss my findings with experts and professionals in the field. I got to connect with many doctors from around the world,” Parikh said. “Although it was initially intimidating, I quickly grew more confident sharing and defending my work. I learned how to present complex data to an audience with varying levels of familiarity, which greatly improved my communication skills.”

Parikh is headed to Georgetown University in the fall where he will study healthcare management and policy (pre-med track) in the School of Health.