Dr. Istvan Mucsi, MD, PhD - Kidney Health Education and Research Group

Dr. Istvan Mucsi, MD, PhD

Principal Investigator
Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto
Staff Nephrologist, University Health Network, Toronto

Dr. Mucsi is a clinician investigator and transplant nephrologist at the Multi-Organ Transplant Program and Division of Nephrology at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto. He also holds a cross appointment with the Semmelweis University Budapest.  His current research focuses on understanding and reducing barriers and disparities in access to kidney transplantation and living donor kidney transplantation (KT) and assessing the impact of psychosocial distress on clinical outcomes of kidney transplant recipients.
Dr. Mucsi received his medical degree (1988) and his certification in internal medicine (1993) in Budapest and completed nephrology training at the University of Toronto (1994-1997). Initially, he has been working as a general nephrologist in Budapest and Toronto, and subsequently as a transplant nephrologist at McGill University, Montreal. Since April 2014, he has been working at UHN, in Toronto.

Research Interests

Dr. Mucsi has a broad research interest, including living donor kidney transplantation, quality of life of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and KT, bone and mineral disorders, renal anemia, and inflammation in CKD and kidney transplant. He developed research programs and multiple collaborations to study these aspects of CKD and KT. He is a regular presenter at national and international conferences and published more than one hundred peer reviewed articles. See his complete list of works.

Recently, Dr. Mucsi launched a series of research projects to understand and reduce psychosocial and ethnocultural barriers to KT and living donor KT. With his research team and collaborators, he is working on adapting culturally appropriate education resources to enhance transplant related knowledge, to reduce disparities and to enhance access to KT and to living donor KT.

Research Keywords

access to care; living donor kidney transplantation; ethnocultural disparities; psychosocial and behavioral medicine; quality of life, whole person care; patient reported outcomes; outcomes research.

Awards

Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology, American Society of Nephrology 2015-2017
Excellence in PhD Mentoring, Semmelweis University Medical School 2009-2010
Excellence in Scientific Mentoring, Semmelweis University Medical School 2004-2009
Békésy Postdoctoral Scholarship Research Award, Hungarian Academy of Sciences 2001/9 – 2006/9
Hársing Research Award, Hungarian Kidney Foundation 2000-2001
Bolyai Research Scholarship Research Award, Hungarian Academy of Sciences 1999-2009
Excellence in PhD Mentoring, Semmelweis University 2010
Excellence in Scientific Mentoring, Semmelweis University 2004
Pro Scientia Mentorship Award (National) 2003

Research Grant
Grant Institute Funding Year
Listening, Learning and Leading: Canadians Seeking Solutions and Innovations to Overcome Chronic Kidney Disease (Can-SOLVE CKD) Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) SPOR 200,000 CAD 2016/1-2020/1
Reducing barriers to access kidney transplantation: implementing the “Explore Transplant” education program to increase patient knowledge and to facilitate informed decision making: – a pilot study. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Academic Funding Plan Innovation Funds 196,778 CAD 2015/7 – 2017/7
Start Up Grant University Health Network Multi Organ Transplant, Toronto, Ontario 80,000 CAD 2014/5 – 2016/6
Interaction between iron metabolism and FGF23 metabolism in patients with chronic kidney disease Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec 145,000 CAD 2013 – 2015
Multinational, Prospective Cohort-Study in PatienTs with Type 2 Diabetes For Validation of Biomarkers (SysKid-PROVALID) European Comission FP7 Framework 16M EUR 2010 – 2015
Exercise training program for kidney transplant recipients to improve physical function and quality of life The Gustav Levinschi Foundation of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec 12,000 CAD 2013 – 2014
Kidney function, antiretroviral therapy and iron deficiency as potential determinants of fibroblast growth factor-23 levels in patients with HIV and hepatitis C virus co-infection Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research 25,000 CAD 2012 – 2013
The role of Apo-L1 gene and FGF23 in chronic kidney disease Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec 2011 – 2013
Obstructive sleep apnoe and cardiovascular morbidity in patients with high cardiovascular risk Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health (ETT 206/09) 24,000 CAD 2009 – 2012
Deans Fund Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto 10,000 CAD 2007 – 2010
Association between cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, vascular calcification and bone metabolism in patients on maintenance hemodialysis Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health (ETT 172/06) 15,000 CAD 2006 – 2009
Genetic factors associated with the malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome and with clinical outcome in kidney transplanted patients Hungarian Society of Nephrology 2,500 CAD 2008
Association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with high baseline cardiovascular risk Hungarian Hypertension Society 5,000 CAD 2008
Hungarian-Canadian Bilateral mobility grant (CN-03/04) 2005 – 2006
Sleep, mood disorders and quality of life in patients after kidney transplantation Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health (ETT 218/03) 2003 – 2006
Cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation National Scientific Research Funds (OTKA – T042651) 2003 – 2006
TÉT Hungarian-Finnish Bilateral mobility grant (SF-11/01) 2002 – 2003
Research Grant from the Semmelweis University Semmelweis University 2000 – 2002
Sleep and mood disorders and quality of life in chronic kidney disease patients Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health (ETT 240/00) 2000 – 2002
TÉT Hungarian-German Bilateral mobility grant (D-45/00) 2000 – 2001
Polymorphisms of TGF-beta and the vitamin D receptor in dialysis patients with renal osteodystrophy Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health (ETT 383/99) 1999 – 2000
Research Grant from the Hungarian Kidney Foundation Hungarian Kidney Foundation 1998 – 2000
Intracellular signaling of transforming growth factor beta and angiotensin II National Scientific Research Funds (OTKA – T026223) 1997 – 2000
Serum markers of renal bone disease National Scientific Research Funds (OTKA – T022680) 1997 – 2000
Intracellular signaling of transforming growth factor-beta Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health (ETT 129/98) 1998 – 1999
Intracellular signaling of angiotensin II Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health (ETT 138/98) 1998 – 1999
Research Grant from the Hungarian Society of Nephrology Hungarian Society of Nephrology 1998
Teaching
Programs Institute Students Supervised Year
Comprehensive Research Experience for Medical Students (CREMS) Summer Research Program University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Sarah Cao 2016
Institute of Medical Sciences University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Luke Dingwell, Ellie Warsman, Candice Richardson 2016
Supervisor to PhD students Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary Turányi Csilla Zita,  Véber Orsolya,  Ambrus Csaba, Torzsa Péter, Vámos Eszter Panna, Sebe Attila, (50%) Barótfi Szabolcs, (50%) Masszi András, (50%) Terebessy Tamás, Molnár Miklós Zsolt, (50%) Huszár Tamás 1997 – 2016
Research supervisor, Nephrology Fellowship Program McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada 2013 – 2014
Research supervisor to medical students Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary 1997 – 2012
Internal medicine and nephrology for medical students, medical residents and nephrology fellows Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary 1997 – 2010
Special courses in Evidence based Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary 1997 – 2010 CME courses in Nephrology
CME courses in Nephrology Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary 1997 – 2010
*Where 50% means co-supervisor
Organization Activities
Activity Organization Year
Main Organizer National Annual Psychonephrology and Rehabilitation Conference, Budapest, Hungary Since 2007
Member of scientific committee 3rd Annual Scientific Conference of the European Association of Psychosomatic Medicine (EAPM), Wurzburg, Germany 2015
Member of the local organizing committee and of the scientific committee XIVth Annual Scientific Meeting of the EACLPP (European Association for Consultation – Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatics, Budapest, Hungary 2011
Local Organizer ERA-EDTA Introductory course on Epidemiology, Budapest, Hungary 2010
Main Organizer 1st Budapest International Clinical Epidemiology Course, Budapest, Hungary 2008
Degrees & Credentials
Degree & Credential Institute Year
Specialist in general internal medicine National Board of Medical Specialties 2012
Specialist in Nephrology National Board of Medical Specialties 2012
Ph.D Semmelweis University Medical School 2011
Specialist in Clinical Pharmacology National Board of Medical Specialties 2012
Habilitation in General internal medicine Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University 2008
M.D.: Doctorate, general medicine Semmelweis University Medical School 1989