Over four years ago, the International Society of Glomerular Disease (ISGD) began as a shared idea and vision: to create a global home for clinicians and researchers focused on glomerular disease, and to accelerate progress through collaboration, education, and infrastructure.
Since then, it has been my immense privilege to serve as ISGD’s founding Executive Director and, more recently, as Chief Operating Officer. Together with an extraordinary board, staff, and community, we have helped transform that original vision into a living organization. When I was diagnosed with FSGS in 1995, I could never have guessed that within a few short decades we would see such a renaissance in glomerular disease, much less that I would have the opportunity to be part of it.
Today, I’m sharing that I will be stepping down from my current staff role at ISGD at the end of July and transitioning into a new chapter.
Looking back: what we’ve built together
When I think about the last four years, what stands out most is not any single event, but the shift from “someone ought to do that” to “ISGD is doing that!”
I’m proud that together we have:
- Created a center of gravity for glomerular disease. ISGD has become a place where clinicians, scientists, patients, and partners can find each other, share ideas, and build joint initiatives instead of working in silos.
- Moved from ad‑hoc efforts to a coherent platform. Rather than one‑off meetings or projects, we now have a recognizable portfolio of convenings, educational activities, and collaborative efforts that build on each other year to year.
- Implemented programs with transformational impact. It is an honor to have operationally led many significant initiatives such as the PARASOL project, the 15th International Podocyte Conference, ISGD’s Preceptorships and other essential programs that will continue to benefit patients and the nephrology community.
- Raised the bar for collaboration with industry, regulators, allied organizations, and academia. By creating clear structures, expectations, and processes, we’ve made it easier for external partners to engage with ISGD in ways that are both ambitious and aligned with our mission, so that we can achieve more together.
- Modeled a “learning organization” mindset. Across clinical trials conversations, registries, and educational programs, we’ve tried to make each initiative a little smarter, more inclusive, and more sustainable than the last—with an eye toward long‑term impact rather than one‑time wins.
These are, by design, achievements that outlast any one individual. They reflect the work of many hands and minds—staff, volunteers, faculty, board members, sponsors, and the broader kidney community including all our members.
Why now: a transition, not a goodbye
So why step back now?
On a personal level, I’m entering a season where I need to devote more time to a terminally ill parent who taught me the incalculable value of collaboration and empathy, of interdisciplinary scientific curiosity and open-minded learning, and of refusing to take “no” for an answer when addressing even the biggest and thorniest problems. That’s a responsibility and a privilege I want to be present for.
On a professional level, I’ve always believed that founding leaders have a particular role: to help launch an endeavor, build the early scaffolding, and then make room for the next iteration of leadership. Living as I do in a college town, each year I get to witness confident young graduates making the leap into the wide world of possibilities. Likewise, ISGD has reached a stage where the foundation is in place and the organization is ready for its next chapter. This is a natural moment for me to move from day‑to‑day management into a different kind of relationship with the society and the kidney space more broadly.
What comes next
While I will be stepping down from my staff role, this is not a farewell to ISGD or to the glomerular disease community.
In the months ahead:
- I will continue to consult on selected ISGD projects.
- I plan to stay actively engaged in the kidney space, contributing to projects and collaborations that align with the mission of scientific progress, educational engagement, and patient benefit. I'll see you in person in Denver this October, Galveston in November, online on LinkedIn, and no doubt in many other kidney hotspots around the globe. Please feel free to reach out to me; I'd love to stay in touch.
I’m deeply grateful for the trust that Tobias, Josh, the Board, and our partners have placed in me, and for the countless colleagues who have done the hard work of turning ideas into reality. Co-founding and leading ISGD has been one of the great professional and personal privileges of my life.
Thank you to everyone who has walked some part of this path with me. I’m excited to see where ISGD goes next, and I look forward to supporting that journey from a new vantage point.
With appreciation,
Laurel Damashek
Founding Executive Director and former COO
International Society of Glomerular Disease
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