Wynnewood, PA—Prominently featured in The Inner Circle,
Sandra Amaral is acknowledged as a Distinguished Healthcare Professional for
her contributions to the field of Nephrology.
Dr Amaral earned a Bachelor’s degree in Western European
History, Philosophy, and Literature at Wesleyan University. She received her
medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania-Hahnemann University
School of Medicine, and her internship and residency in pediatrics at the
Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. She completed her fellowship in
pediatric nephrology at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, and received a Master of
Health Science degree in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from the Bloomberg
School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins.
Dr. Amaral is a fellowship-trained nephrologist and is
considered an expert in kidney transplant medicine and works as an attending
physician within the Division of Nephrology at Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia (CHOP), and is a part of the Kidney Transplant and Dialysis
Program. She is also the Distinguished Endowed Chair with the Department of
Pediatrics.
Dr. Amaral is the Medical Director of the Kidney Transplant
and Hand Transplant programs at CHOP, where she leads the Kidney Transplant
Transition Clinic Program. She is the Founder & Director of the CHOPed
Cooking Camp for youth with kidney disease and an Associate Professor of
Pediatrics and Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the Perelman School of
Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The doctor is also an Associate
Fellow of the Center for Health Behavior Research at the University of
Pennsylvania.
According to Dr. Amaral, some of the conditions that she
treats include acute kidney injury; chronic kidney disease; congenital
anomalies of the kidneys and urinary tract; hematuria; hemolytic uremic
syndrome in children; nephrotic syndrome in children; polycystic kidney
disease; protein in urine (proteinuria); and urinary tract infection.
Nephrology is a specialty of medicine and pediatrics that concerns itself with
the kidneys; the study of normal kidney function and kidney disease; the
preservation of kidney health; the treatment of kidney disease from diet; and
medication to renal replacement therapy. Nephrologists have advanced training
in treating kidney disease. They diagnose and treat kidney failure, as well as
help patients by prescribing medications, offering special diet advice, and
coordinating dialysis care when the time comes.
Dr. Amaral served as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at
Emory University-Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta from 2006-2011 prior to joining
CHOP. She is board-certified in both internal medicine and nephrology by the
American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). According to the doctor, ABIM is a
physician-led, non-profit, independent evaluation organization driven by
doctors who want to achieve higher standards for better care in a rapidly
changing world.
Dr. Amaral is also board-certified in pediatrics by the
American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). She notes that the mission of the ABP is to
advance child health by certifying pediatricians who meet standards of
excellence and are committed to continuous learning and improvement.
Dr. Amaral asserts that she is a staunch public policy
advocate for children and young adults with renal disease and their caregivers.
She serves on the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) Council, and
previously chaired the ASPN Public Policy Committee. She has served on the
United Network for Organ Sharing Pediatrics and Kidney Committees, and
regularly engages in Capitol Hill Advocacy Days with the ASPN and the American
Society of Nephrology.
The doctor is a member of the International Pediatric
Nephrology Association; the International Pediatric Transplant Association; the
American Society of Transplantation; the American Society of Nephrology; and the
American Society of Pediatric Nephrology.
According to Dr. Amaral, her research is funded by the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is focused on kidney transplantation
with particular interests in reducing treatment burden for adolescents and young
adults; designing studies to making daily medication regimens easier;
diagnosing transplant injury earlier; and using innovative, non-invasive
approaches. She is currently the principal investigator of U-REAACT, a text
messaging intervention to promote treatment adherence in youth with kidney
transplants and spina bifida. She is also co-principal investigator of an
international study, VIRTUUS, to validate urinary biomarker signals associated
with rejection and infections in children with kidney transplants.
Dr. Amaral is an editorial reviewer for the Journal of the
American Society of Nephrology; the Clinical Journal of the American Society of
Nephrology; the American Journal of Transplantation; Pediatric Nephrology; and
Pediatric Transplantation. She contributes her success to excellent mentorship
& supportive colleagues and staff.
The doctor has been awarded the Philadelphia Magazines Top
Doctors in Pediatric Nephrology, 2022; Castle Connolly Top Doctor,
Philadelphia, 2016; Castle Connolly Top Doctor, United States, 2015-2016;
Selection to the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology Leadership
Development Program, 2015; Healthcare Heroes Finalist, Physician category,
Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2010; Guide to Americas Top Pediatricians,
Pediatric Nephrology, Consumers Research Council of America, 2010; Golden Apple
Honorable Mention Award, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Health Education
Expo, recognizing outstanding accomplishment in healthcare education, 2008;
Pediatric Research Funding Recipient, 2008; Clinical Innovator Award for New
Program Development, Emory University, Department of Pediatrics, 2008; Best
Doctors in America, 2007-2016; Joseph W. Crooks Faculty Development Award in
Childrens Health, Emory University, Department of Pediatrics, 2006; National
Kidney Foundation Travel Award, 2006;National Kidney Foundation Mini-Grant
recipient, 2004; Renal Disease Epidemiology Training Grant recipient, 2003;
American Society of Pediatric Nephrology Travel Award, 2002; MCP-Hahnemann
Student Research Fellowship Award, 1997; and Primary Care Scholar, Penn. State
Univ. College of Medicine, Primary Care Initiative Program, 1995.
In her spare time, Dr. Amaral enjoys doing yoga and cooking.
Her favorite professional publications are the Journal of the American Society
of Nephrology and the American Journal of Transplantation.
