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Blaithin McMahon PhD, MBBChr

Blaithin A. McMahon PhD, MBBChr

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Rank
  • Associate Professor
College
  • College of Medicine
Department
  • Medicine
Academic Focus
  • Acute Kidney Injury (acute kidney failure)
  • Continous Renal Replacement Therapy in the intensive care unit
  • Onconephrology (kidney disease in the cancer patient) and HIV-related kidney disease.
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Biography

Dr. Blaithin A. McMahon completed her B.Sc. Ph.D. (Medicine) and honors degree in Medicine at University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. After starting her Internal Residency Program at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, she quickly earned her membership into the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. Membership in this College is internationally recognized as a marker of excellence in the medical field. Upon completion of her internal medicine residency in Ireland she returned to academic nephrology research as a special lecturer/clinical research fellow at the Catherine McAuley Clinical Research Center, University College Dublin from 2009-2011.

After 2 years training as a clinical research fellow, she decided to further her medical training by joining the renowned Osler Medical Residency at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (2011-2013). She fast-tracked into the highly competitive Nephrology fellowship program at Johns Hopkins from 2013-2016. She obtained her American Boards in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Dr. McMahon was recruited into the prestigious position as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Division of Nephrology) from 2016-2018. Dr. McMahon was Firm Faculty with the Longcope Firm, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. McMahon and colleagues were instrumental in setting up prospective multicenter trials in the field of acute kidney failure. Her area of sub-specialization is in novel urinary biomarker utilization in AKI and development of risk stratification methods in AKI. Dr. McMahon is assessing these early diagnostic methods in kidney transplant patients to predict the need for dialysis after kidney transplantation. Dr. McMahon’s research has been published in leading peer reviewed international nephrology medical journals. During her training she published several first author original investigations, multiple book chapters in this area of interest. She is involved in several prospective national and international ICU studies ongoing in the area of Acute Kidney Injury. She has also penned numerous editorials, commentaries, case reports, review papers and has more than 1000 citations. She has been awarded teaching awards both at Johns Hopkins Hospital (2018 Nephrology Fellow's award) and University College Dublin.

In September 2018, Dr. McMahon joined faculty at Medical University of South Carolina as Assistant Professor of Medicine where she continues her research. She attends to both general nephrology patients and oncology patients with kidney disease.

PUBLICATIONS

Original Research  

1.            McMahon B, Stenson C, McPhilips F, Fanning A, Brady HR, and Godson C. Lipoxin A4 Antagonizes the Mitogenic Effects of Leukotriene D4 in Human Renal Mesangial Cells.  Differential Activation of MAP kinases Through Distinct Receptors.  Journal of Biological Chemistry (2000) vol. 275, No. 36 27566-27575.

2.            McMahon B, Mitchell B, Shattock R, Martin F, Brady HR, and Godson C.  Signaling through the human renal mesangial cell Leukotriene D4 receptor induces transactivation of the Platelet Derived Growth Factor beta receptor and c-Src recruitment.  Modulation by Lipoxin A4.  FASEB J. (2002) 16 (13) 1817-9.

3.            Mitchell D, Rodgers K, Hanly K, McMahon B, Brady HR, Martin F, Godson C. Lipoxins inhibit Akt/PKB activation and cell cycle progression in human mesangial cells. Am J Path. 2004 Mar;164(3):937-46. [contributed figure to paper]

4.            Sadlier DM, Ouyang X, McMahon B, Mu W, Ohashi R, Rodgers K, Murray D, Nakagawa T, Godson C, Doran P, Brady HR, Johnson RJ. Microarray and bioinformatic detection of novel and established genes expressed in experimental anti-Thy1 nephritis. Kidney Int. 2005 Dec;68(6): 2542-61. [performed all the experiments as the basis for microarray analysis]

5.            Rodgers K, McMahon B, Mitchell D, Sadlier D, Godson C. Lipoxin A4 modifies platelet-derived growth factor-induced pro-fibrotic gene expression in human renal mesangial cells. Am J Path. 2005 Sep;167 (3):683-94. [joint first authorship, contributed to half the experiments in the manuscriop]

6.            See comment in PubMed Commons belowGrams ME, Waikar SS, McMahon B, Whelton S, Ballew SH, Coresh J. Performance and limitations of administrative data in the identification of AKI. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2014 Apr;9(4):682-9. doi: 10.2215/CJN.07650713.

 

7.            Grams ME, Rebholz CM, McMahon B, Whelton S, Ballew SH, Selvin E, Wruck L, Coresh J. Identification of incident CKD stage 3 in research studies. Am J Kidney Dis. 2014 Aug;64(2):214-21. [helped validate the database for this study]

8.            Grams MEWaikar SSMcMahon BWhelton SBallew SHCoresh J. Performance and limitations of administrative data in the identification of AKI. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2014 Apr;9(4):682-9. doi: 10.2215/CJN.07650713. Epub 2014 Jan 23. [helped validate the database for this study]

9.            Rebholz CMCoresh JBallew SHMcMahon BWhelton SPSelvin EGrams ME. Kidney Failure and ESRD in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study: Comparing Ascertainment of Treated and Untreated Kidney Failure in a Cohort Study. Am J Kidney Dis. 2015 Aug;66(2):231-9. [helped validate the database for this study]

10.          Longenecker JC, Waheed S, Bandak G, Murakami CA, McMahon BA, Gelber AC, Atta MG. Hyperuricemia after orthotopic liver transplantation: divergent associations with progression of renal disease, incident end-stage renal disease, and mortality. BMC Nephrology. 2017 March 27;18 (1): 103.

11.          McMahon BA, Koyner JL, Novick T, Menez S, Moran RA, Lonze BE, Desai N, Alasfar S, Borja M, Merritt WT, Ariyo P, Chawla LS, Kraus E. The prognostic value of the furosemide stress test in predicting delayed graft function following deceased donor kidney transplantation. Biomarkers. 2018 Feb; 23 (1): 61-69.

 

12.          McMahon BA, Fine DM, Chen TK, Foy M, Lucas GM, Hanouneh M, Estrella ME, Atta MG. Association of HIV Suppression with Kidney Disease Progression among HIV-Positive African Americans with Biopsy-Proven Classic FSGS.  J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2018 Sep 4.

 

13.          McMahon BA,  Galligan M, Redahan R, Martin R, Meaney E, Cotter E, Egan E, Murphy N, Hannon C, Doran P, Marsh B, Nichol A, Murray PT. Biomarker performance in the prediction of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) and clinical outcomes: The Dublin Acute bioMArker Group Evaluation (DAMAGE) Study. Am J Nephrol  In Review March 2019.

 

 

 

Review Articles

1.            McMahon B, Mitchell S, Brady HR and Godson C. Revelations on Resolution: Trends In Pharmacological Sciences. 22: 391 (2001).

2.            McMahon B and Godson C. Lipoxins: endogenous regulators of inflammation. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2004 Feb;286(2):F189-201.

3.            McMahon BA, Murray PT. Urinary liver fatty acid-binding protein: another novel biomarker of acute kidney injury. Kidney Int. 2010 Apr;77(8):657-9.

4.            McMahon B and Phelan D. Management of Oliguric Acute Kidney Injury In The Post Operative Surgical Patient. Modern Medicine: The Irish journal of Clinical Medicine. 2010.

5.            McMahon BA, Koyner JL, Murray PT. Urinary glutathione S-transferases in the pathogenesis and diagnostic evaluation of acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery: a critical review. Curr Opin Crit Care. 2010 Dec;16(6):550-5.

6.            McMahon BA, Novick T, Scheel PJ, Bagnasco S and Atta MA. Rituximab for the Treatment of IgG4-Related Tubulointerstitial Nephritis: Case Report and Review of the Literature. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015. Aug;94(32)

7.            McMahon, BA and Koyner JL. Risk Stratification for Acute Kidney Injury: Are Biomarkers enough? Invited Review.  ACKD. May 2016. 23(3): 167-78

8.            McMahon, BA and Koyner JL. Have biomarkers failed in acute kidney injury? No. Intensive Care Med. 2017 Jun;43(6):887-889.

9.            Menez S, Hanouneh M, McMahon BA, Fine DM, Atta MG. Pharmacotherapy and Treatment Options for HIV-Associated Nephropathy. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2018; Jan 19(1): 39-48.

 

10.          Palau L, Menez S, McMahon BA, Atta MG. HIV-associated nephropathy: links, risks and management. HIV/AID – Research and Palliative Care. 2018 May 25; 10: 73-81.

 

Case Reports

1.            Khan M, Waist A, Mirrakhimov AE, McMahon BA, Judge DP, Chu LC, Banavali A, Zeidan AM. Case report of a patient with left ventricular assistance device undergoing chemotherapy for a new diagnosis of lung cancer. Case Rep Oncol Med. 2015;2015:163727.

2.            Novick T, McMahon BA, Berliner A and Jaar BG.  Cinacalcet-Associated Severe Hypocalcemia resulting in Torsades de Pointes and Cardiac Arrest: A Case for Caution. Europ J. Clin Pharmacol. Dec 1 2015: 72(3): 375-5

3.            McMahon BA, Moran R, Novick T, Bagnasco S, and Atta MG, Sperati CJ. Renal thrombotic microangiopathy, podocytopathy and chylous ascites. American Journal of Medicine (Green Journal).Oct 2016; 129:e227-31.

4.            Novick TK, Choi MJ, Rosenberg AZ, McMahon BA, Fine D, Atta MG. Tenofovir alafenamide nephrotoxicity in an HIV-positive patient: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Sep;96(36)

 

 

Book Chapters, Monographs

1.            McMahon B.A. and Murray P.T. Atrial Natruretic Peptides. In Vincent, Jean-Louis; Hall, Jesse B (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Intensive Care Medicine (2010). New York, NY. Springer.

2.            Roy A.T, McMahon B.A, Murray P.T. Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury in Cardiorenal Syndromes. Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (2011). Volume 1 of the series Annual Update in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine 2011 pp 251-262.

3.            Novick T, McMahon B.A. and Murray P.T. Risk Factors for AKI in ICU. Extracorporeal blood purification in intensive care (in Russian language). (03/2016). In Press.

4.            McMahon B.A, Novick T,. and Murray P.T. Correction of Water, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Derangements by Hemodialysis and Derived Techniques. Critical Care Nephrology.  Ronco, Bellomo, Kellum and Ricci (editors). (2017) Elsevier

5.            McMahon B.A and Chawla LS. End points for clinical trials in AKI. Critical Care Nephrology.  Ronco, Bellomo, Kellum and Ricci (editors). (2017) Elsevier

 

Other Publications:

Methods and Techniques,

1.            McMahon BA, Phelan D, Murray PT . Oliguria and Acute Kidney Injury. (2010, October 10). Online publication for the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM). http://esicm.org/Data/ModuleGestionDeContenu/PagesGenerees/03-education/0B-pact-programme/25.asp. [This was created as part of a teaching curriculum for intensive care medicine fellow, “how do I approach a patient with oliguria” it was written as part of an online course]