Agnieszka Swiatecka-Urban, MD

Agnieszka (Agnes) Swiatecka-Urban, MD, is a physician scientist dedicated to improving care for children and young adults with chronic severe illness. As a pediatric nephrologist (kidney doctor), she serves in several leadership roles dedicated to improving care for patients with conditions that can lead to kidney failure.

She was nominated by NephCure Kidney International as a nephrotic syndrome specialist. This program was created to address the importance of connecting kidney experts with patients early on to improve quality of life and advance critical research promoting a personalized approach to treatment.

She initiated the International Nephrotic Syndrome Symposium: Clinical Challenges and Evidence-based Management. Dedicated to improving the lives of patients with proteinuric kidney disease, the symposium serves as a networking platform for physicians, scientists, patients, and families.

Dr. Swiatecka-Urban served as a principal investigator for an NIH-funded research study to better understand glomerular diseases. These diseases include minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membranous nephropathy (MN), and IgA nephropathy (IGAN). The aim of the study was to better understand the underlying disease causes and progression and response to therapy, with the goal of a cure.

She also leads a team of scientists with expertise in kidney, lung, and immune disorders to study mechanisms of cystic fibrosis associated kidney disease (CFKD), a study funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Dr. Swiatecka-Urban is a Robert J. Roberts Professor of Pediatrics, Director of the Pediatric Nephrology Division at UVA, and a fellow of the American Society of Nephrology and American Academy of Pediatrics. Before joining UVA Children’s in 2020, she was a tenured associate professor of pediatrics at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Born in Poland, she completed her undergraduate education at the Lyceum of Copernicus in Gdansk, Poland. She received her medical degree from the Medical University of Gdansk. She then completed an internship and pediatric residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York, where she was chosen to become a chief pediatric resident. Dr. Urban completed a pediatric nephrology fellowship at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Following her clinical fellowship, she trained in epithelial cell biology and physiology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

Outside of work, she enjoys tennis, music, and cooking — passions she shares with her husband. She also enjoys traveling, learning history, and experiencing different cultures.

Gender

Female

Languages

Polish, English

Age Groups Seen

Infants (0-2)
Children (2-12)
Adolescents (12-21)

Primary Education

Medical University of Gdansk, Poland

Residency

St. Vincents Hospital and Medical Center of New York

Fellowships

Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

Certification

American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatric Nephrology)

Appointment

Division Director - UVA Department of Pediatrics Nephrology, Robert J. Roberts Professor of Pediatrics - University of Virginia School of Medicine