Qais Al-Awqati

An award-winning scientist, Qais Al-Awqati pioneered the use of modern cell biology methods in kidney research. Through this work, he was the first to identify an electrogenic H+ ATPase, which is found in all cells. Qais Al-Awqati followed this insight with many discoveries about the presence and regulatory function of this ATPase. In recent years, he discovered stem cells in a region of the kidney called the papilla.

Qais Al-Awqati has spent much of his career at Columbia University, where he holds several academic titles including The Jay I. Meltzer Professor of Nephrology & Hypertension and the Robert F. Loeb Professor of Medicine. He has served as the Chief of the Nephrology Division since 1978, and oversees the Columbia Genome Center as its Deputy Director.

Throughout his career, Qais Al-Awqati’s contributions have been recognized by the numerous scientific organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the American Society of Nephrology. In 2007, that group accorded him the Homer Smith Award, the top honor in basic science.