Author Biography

Vasundhara Raghavan, retired as Secretary General of Media Research Users Council in 2005 and channelized her energies to understand and research through available information about chronic kidney disease.

In a world where people with disease are constantly challenged for information, she took the task of writing about her family’s experiences and published her first book, Shades of Life, Sublime Joy is in Living in 2010. Though the book was not a bestseller readers reviews and patient feedback encouraged her to continue to delve deeper into her research.

Apart from medical information her interest was in the human angle of the disease. “How will a person, a family live through the nightmare of the disease?” was the most discomforting thought that crossed her mind.

Two books were published in 2018, with over 4 years of work. Both are very special books written as a novel with short stories, each story different from the other. Just like the disease, whose treatment is patient specific.

The Kidney Warriors, is a compilation of stories of people from the Indian sub-continent. Who Lives Who Dies With Kidney Disease, has stories of people in the US, Italy, Germany and UK. Both the books have some great medical information written by nephrologists.

Dr. Mohammad Akmal graduated from Khyber Medical College, Peshawar Pakistan in 1967. After extensive training in Internal Medicine in England, he immigrated to the USA where he completed Fellowship in Nephrology at the Christ Hospital Cincinnati, Ohio and Los Angeles-County Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. He ascended the academic ladder to Professor of Medicine in 1993 at the USC Keck School of Medicine. He has also been a Medical Director of Dialysis Program for about quarter of a century at the same institution that included more than a decade of Directorship at the USC/DaVita Kidney Center.

Dr. Akmal also had the opportunity to serve renal communities in different capacity that included the following; President of the Medical Advisory Board, and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Southern California National Kidney Foundation, and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Southern California Renal Disease Council, Inc. Network 18.

Dr. Akmal has published 65 scientific papers and chapters and has received numerous meritorious awards including "Spirit of Nephrology Award" by Southern California National Kidney foundation, and "Dr Pepper Award" by DaVita Inc. (Wild West Division).

Finally, he is recognized as Man of The Year in Medicine and Healthcare, 2008 (American Biographical Institute), America's Top Physicians, 2008 (Consumer Research Council of America), Super Doctor, Southern California 2008 (Key Professional Media, Inc), and Professional of The Year, 2007 (The Global Directory of WHO, WHO).