Claudio Rigatto, MD, FRCPC, MSc

Research summary

Dr. Rigatto’s research is conducted in close collaboration with Dr. Navdeep Tangri and Dr. Paul Komenda as part of the Seven Oaks General Hospital Research Centre.

Dr. Rigatto and his team have conducted groundbreaking research on biomarkers of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) and cardiac disease in patients with kidney disease. Their work has resulted in the identification and characterization of hepcidin-25 as a novel biomarker associated with protection from AKI and the establishment of the prognostic importance of small changes in creatinine in the prediction of AKI after heart surgery. Additionally, they were the first to demonstrate that congestive heart failure (CHF) is as frequent as ischemic heart disease in kidney transplant patients and that CHF confers an adverse risk of death that is similar to, and independent of, IHD.

Their research on CKD has challenged the prevailing hypothesis that CKD is a state of accelerated atherosclerosis, demonstrating that carotid plaque area grows slower, not faster, in patients with the lowest creatinine clearance. Dr. Rigatto's research themes include telemonitoring in high-risk CKD, biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in CKD, biomarkers of AKI, and the development and validation of risk prediction models in kidney disease.

Overall, Dr. Rigatto's extensive research background has contributed significantly to the advancement of medical knowledge in the areas of AKI, CKD, and cardiovascular disease, making him a highly regarded expert in the field of nephrology. His work has implications for the epidemiology of CKD and the management of kidney transplant patients.

Research themes

• Telemonitoring in high-risk CKD 
• Biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in CKD 
• Biomarkers of AKI 
• Development and validation of risk prediction models in kidney disease

Research affiliations

Academic director, Chronic Disease Innovation Centre Institution

Keywords

• Cardiovascular Disease
• Chronic Kidney Disease
• Epidemiology of CKD
• Kidney Transplant
• Nephrology
• AKI
• Biomarkers
• Risk Prediction Models
• Telemonitoring

Dr. Claudio Rigatto is an attending physician and professor in the division of nephrology at the University of Manitoba, where he also holds a position in the department of community health sciences. Dr. Rigatto was head of the section of nephrology from 2013-2019, leading a team of 26 academic kidney specialists. He is a founding member and academic director of the Chronic Disease Innovation Centre at the Seven Oaks Hospital.

Dr. Rigatto completed his MD at the University of Manitoba and his master's degree in clinical epidemiology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He also holds a bachelor of science in medicine from the University of Manitoba and a bachelor of arts (honours) in physics/Italian from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Dr. Rigatto has received numerous awards and scholarships throughout his career, including the Richard Hoeschen Memorial Award and the Biomedical Research Fellowship Award from the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

Education

Master of Science (M.Sc.), clinical epidemiology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada (1998 – 2001)

Bachelor of science (B.Sc.), Medicine, University of Manitoba, Canada (1993 – 1997)

Doctor of medicine (MD), University of Manitoba, Canada (1989 – 1993)

Bachelor of arts (BA) (honours), physics/Italian, Queen’s University, Canada (1985 – 1988)

Awards

• Richard Hoeschen Memorial Award:
  • Manitoba Medical Service Foundation and St. Boniface Hospital Research
  • Contribution to the Operating Expense of a Bachelor of Science in Medicine (BSc Med) Program Supervisor at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  • Awardee: Sean Desrochers, BSc Med, Year 2
  • Epidemiology of Lower Limb Disease in Persons with Chronic Kidney Disease (2016)
• Richard Hoeschen Award, Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, Manitoba, Canada (2012)
• Biomedical Scholarship, Kidney Foundation of Canada, Manitoba, Canada (2002 – 2004)
• Biomedical Research Fellowship Award, Kidney Foundation of Canada, Canada (1998)