Mount Sinai Health System Chair of Pediatrics Receives ASPN Founders’ Award for Lifetime Achievement in Pediatric Nephrology
The Mount Sinai Health System today announced that Lisa M. Satlin, MD, the Herbert H. Lehman Professor of Pediatrics and Chair of the Jack and Lucy Clark Department of Pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and Pediatrician-in-Chief of Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, has been named the 2026 recipient of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) Founders’ Award. The honor recognizes a lifetime of outstanding contributions to pediatric nephrology through research, education, clinical care, and leadership.
The ASPN Founders’ Award is the Society’s highest honor, presented to individuals whose careers have had a lasting impact on the field and who exemplify excellence in scholarship, mentorship, and service to children with kidney disease.
Dr. Satlin is a nationally and internationally recognized physician-scientist whose work has advanced understanding of how the kidney regulates salt and water balance. Her NIH-funded laboratory focuses on the mechanisms that control ion transport in the renal collecting duct, a key structure responsible for maintaining the body’s fluid and electrolyte balance. Her research has helped shape current knowledge of kidney development and function, with important implications for hypertension and kidney disease, most notably polycystic kidney disease.
Over the course of her career at Mount Sinai, Dr. Satlin has built and led programs that have strengthened pediatric research and clinical care. As Chief of the Division of Pediatric Nephrology from 1997 to 2010, she developed an internationally respected academic division and established an ACGME–accredited fellowship training program. The program continues to attract trainees in both clinical nephrology and basic and translational research, many of whom have gone on to leadership roles across the country and around the world. She continues to advance care for children and families in her current roles.
Dr. Satlin is also widely recognized for her commitment to mentorship and education. She has trained and guided generations of physician-scientists, many of whom now hold leadership roles across academic medicine. Her dedication to developing future leaders in pediatric nephrology is a hallmark of her career.
“Dr. Satlin’s contributions to pediatric nephrology span decades and have influenced research, patient care, and the careers of countless physicians and scientists,” said Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine and Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “She is an exceptional leader and mentor, and this recognition from ASPN is richly deserved.”
“As one of Dr. Satlin’s former trainees, I experienced firsthand her dedication to developing the next generation of physician-scientists,” said Jeffrey M. Saland, MD, MSCR, Chief, Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension, Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital and Professor, Pediatrics (Nephrology), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Her guidance and commitment to mentorship have had a lasting and ongoing impact on my career and on the field of pediatric nephrology as a whole.”
Her contributions have been recognized by election to several of the nation’s most prestigious medical societies, including the Society for Pediatric Research, the American Pediatric Society, and the Association of American Physicians.
In addition to her scientific and educational work, Dr. Satlin has played a major leadership role in professional organizations. She served as President of ASPN and as a Councilor of the International Pediatric Nephrology Association. She also completed two terms as Associate Editor of the American Journal of Physiology: Renal Physiology and has contributed extensively to national grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association.
“I am honored to receive the ASPN Founders’ Award,” said Dr. Satlin. “Over the course of my career, I have sought to integrate basic and translational research with clinical care, while helping to build programs that support the development of physician-scientists. I share this recognition with the many individuals who have contributed to that mission.”
Dr. Satlin received her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She completed her residency in pediatrics at Babies Hospital of Columbia University and her fellowship in pediatric nephrology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. Its comprehensive system includes seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing. Together, the Health System comprises approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York by Newsweek and No. 5 on the magazine’s World’s Best Hospitals list. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 11 among U.S. medical schools and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.