CORE Kidney at UCLA Health
Clinical excellence Outreach Research Education (CORE)
Our Mission
The CORE Kidney program at UCLA Health is a patient advocacy and support program based on our founding principles of Clinical Excellence, Outreach, Research and Education. Our focus is integrative medicine, with emphasis on prevention and education, so patients can become their own best advocates.
Make an Appointment
If you'd like to make an appointment with a specialist physician, please email us:
National Donor Day
February 14, 2026
Organ donation is an essential process in CORE Kidney's fight against kidney disease. Currently, over 100,000 people are on the organ donation waiting list, 90% of which is for kidney donation. Through paired or unpaired donations, patients' lives are changed forever.
This February, join us in celebrating past kidney donors who have made the generous decision to donate an organ. Learn more about kidney donation stories and the organ donation process!
Health Fair at Pico Union
Save the Date: March 7, 2026
In honor of Kidney Health Awareness month, CORE Kidney will be having a community event at the Graff Lab at Pico Union. The event will begin at 10:00 AM and feature live painting, music, vendors, and plenty of activities. Everyone is welcome; more information coming soon!
Monthly Chats
Next Chat: February 1, 2026
Each month Anjay Rastogi, MD, PhD, and the UCLA Health CORE Kidney Team host a highly informative monthly chat. Our previous chats have covered important topics like living with kidney disease, nutrition, and even dentistry advice. We hope you'll join us for our next monthly chat on February 1, where Dr. Fahad Sheckley will be presenting! Dr. Sheckley is a board-certified urologist, and the Director of Robotic Surgery at Palisades Medical Center in New Jersey. He obtained his Bachelor of Sciences in Integrative Biology and Physiology at UCLA!
Special Presentation with Dr. Anna Gaddy
January 15, 2026
CORE Kidney was excited to host a special Zoom talk with Dr. Anna Gaddy! Dr. Gaddy is a nephrologist at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is also a kidney donor, bringing a powerful and personal perspective on the patient journey. The talk was an incredible opportunity to learn, ask questions, and build meaningful connections. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Gaddy for joining us.
Patient Summit
November 1, 2025
Last year, we hosted our first ever Patient Summit. The Patient Summit brought together doctors, patients, caregivers, and pharmaceutical companies for a day full of empowering talks and breakout sessions. The goal of the event was to help foster a community of those impacted by kidney disease. We hope those who came to the event enjoyed it. Please reach out with any feedback!
CORE Kidney Float at the Rose Parade
January 1, 2025
At the beginning of the year, over 800,000 people attended, and millions more watched from across the world as CORE Kidney's 2025 "It's In Your Hands: It Takes 2" Float paraded down the streets of Pasadena during the 2025 Rose Parade. In the previous years of being a part of this parade, the float won the prestigious 2024 Isabella Coleman Award for the most outstanding presentation of color and color harmony through floral design.
Support Our Mission
Donate to CORE Kidney to help us continue our mission of empowering individuals and their families impacted by kidney disease!
