Dr Rhys Evans

MA (Cantab), MBBS, MRCP, PhD

Consultant Nephrologist and Honorary Associate Professor

Dr. Evans studied medicine at Cambridge University and University College London Medical School, qualifying in 2007. He undertook general medical training in London and Melbourne, Australia prior to undergoing specialty training in Nephrology within the North Thames training scheme. He was awarded a fellowship to undertake sub-speciality training in transplantation at the University of British Columbia, Canada, which he completed in 2021.

He currently works as a consultant transplant nephrologist and honorary associate professor at the Royal Free Hospital. His practice encompasses all aspects of general nephrology including the investigation of acute and chronic kidney disease in addition to the management of patients on dialysis. He has sub-speciality expertise in transplantation; this includes donor and recipient assessment as well as all aspects of post transplant care. He is deputy lead of the UCL Centre for Transplantation and is principal investigator on a number of clinical trials. Projects include cardiac screening in transplant recipients, the use of novel biomarkers to assess transplant function, advanced molecular techniques for the analysis of transplant biopsies, and the use of cell therapy as an immunosuppression avoidance strategy. He has a friendly approach to medicine and strongly believes in shared decision making with patients and their families.

Dr. Evans is an academic clinician with a diverse research portfolio. He was awarded a PhD from UCL for translational work investigating the impact of salt on the immune system during which he provided the first description of immunodeficiency in patients with inherited salt-losing tubulopathies. He continues to investigate changes in immunity in patients with tubular kidney disease and hypertension. He was awarded the UCL Oliver Wrong Prize for an outstanding contribution to Renal Physiology research in 2021. He is funded by Kidney Research UK to investigate the impact of salt on immune responses in kidney transplant recipients and leads a number of clinical projects that aim to improve outcomes for transplant patients.

His other main focus is aimed at improving the care of patients with kidney disease in low-resource settings, which he has done in a number of different settings worldwide. He has previously worked as a clinical lecturer at the University of Malawi and has published widely on the epidemiology of kidney disease in Africa and novel tools to detect it. He enjoys travelling, meeting people and exploring new places, and remains a keen sportsman having previously played several sports to a high level in his younger days!

Hospital Locations

Royal Free Hospital, Hadley Wood Hospital

Year qualified

2007

Country of qualification

Languages spoken

English

Specialities

Nephrology, Transplantation

Memberships

Royal College of Physicians, UK
British Transplant Society
European Society for Organ Transplantation
International Society of Nephrology
UK Kidney Association

Procedures offered

Kidney biopsy
Kidney transplant biopsy
Haemodialysis
Peritoneal dialysis

Clinical interests

General nephrology
Acute kidney injury
Chronic kidney disease
Hypertension
Diabetic kidney disease
Nephrotic syndrome
Glomerulonephritis
Tubular kidney disease
End stage kidney disease
Haemodialysis
Peritoneal Dialysis
Transplantation
Donor Assessment (transplant)
Recipient Assessment (transplant)
Post transplant care
Acute and chronic rejection
Recurrent disease
Infections post transplant
Malignancy post transplant

Research interests

The impact of salt and extracellular ions on immunity
Immunological changes in tubular kidney diseases and hypertension
Improving outcomes for kidney transplant recipients
High immune risk kidney transplantation
Biomarkers of allograft injury
Molecular transplant biopsy analysis
Immunosuppression avoidance including cell therapy
Improving global kidney care

Published papers

Selected Publications

Evans, R.D.R., Antonelou, M., Sathiananthamoorthy, S. et al. Inherited salt-losing tubulopathies are associated with immunodeficiency due to impaired IL-17 responses. Nat Commun 11, 4368 (2020)
Evans, R. D. R. et al. Use and Outcomes of Induction Therapy in Well-Matched Kidney Transplant Recipients. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. CJASN 17, 271–279 (2022).
Evans RDR, et al. Diagnostic performance of a point-of-care saliva urea nitrogen dipstick to screen for kidney disease in low-resource settings where serum creatinine is unavailable. BMJ Glob Health. 2020 May;5(5).
Evans RDR, et al. Emerging evidence of an effect of salt on innate and adaptive immunity. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2019 Dec 1;34(12):2007–14.

Other Journal Publications

Albakr, R…Evans R.D.R et al. An ISN-DOPPS survey of the global impact of the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic on peritoneal dialysis services. Kidney Int. Rep. (2022) doi:10.1016/j.ekir.2022.07.013
Tannor, E. K. ….Evans, R.D.R…et al. The COVID-19 Pandemic Identifies Significant Global Inequities in Hemodialysis Care in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries-An ISN/DOPPS Survey. Kidney Int. Rep. 7, 971–982 (2022)
T.-L., Evans, R. D. R., et al. Assessment of measurement of salivary urea by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy to screen for chronic kidney disease. Kidney360 (2021) doi:10.34067/KID.0004362021.
Aylward, R. …Evans R…et al. The global impact of the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic on in-centre haemodialysis services: an International Society of Nephrology -Dialysis Outcomes Practice Patterns Study survey. Kidney Int. Rep. 0, (2021).
Evans, R. D. R., Smyth, B., Levin, A., Jha, V., Wheeler, D. C., Jardine, M., Perkovic, V., Damster, S., Malik, C., de Zeeuw, D., & Hiemstra, T. (2021). The International Society of Nephrology Advancing Clinical Trials (ISN-ACT) Network: Current activities and future goals. Kidney International, 99(3), 551–554. https://doi.org/10.1
Antonelou, M., Evans, R. D. R., Henderson, S. R. & Salama, A. D. Neutrophils are key mediators in crescentic glomerulonephritis and targets for new therapeutic approaches. Nephrol. Dial. Transplant (2020) doi:10.1093/ndt/gfaa206.
Evans RDR, Phiri C. Assessing and Improving the Capacity of District Health Services in the Management of Acute Kidney Injury in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Kidney Int Rep. 2020 Jul;5(7):977–9.
Selby NM, Forni LG, Laing CM, Horne KL, Evans RD, et al. Covid-19 and acute kidney injury in hospital: summary of NICE guidelines. BMJ. 2020 May 26;369:m1963.
Yang C-W, Harris DCH, Luyckx VA, Nangaku M, Hou FF, Garcia Garcia G,.. Evans R et al. Global case studies for chronic kidney disease/end-stage kidney disease care. Kidney Int Suppl. 2020 Mar;10(1):e24–48.
Antonelou M, Michaëlsson E, Evans RDR, et al. Therapeutic Myeloperoxidase Inhibition Attenuates Neutrophil Activation, ANCA-Mediated Endothelial Damage, and Crescentic GN. J Am Soc Nephrol JASN. 2020 Feb;31(2):350–64
Hussein RH, Calice-Silva V, Evans R, et al. Diagnosis of Acute Kidney Injury in Children Hospitalized in a Sub-Saharan African Unit by Saliva Urea Nitrogen Dipstick Test. Blood Purif. 2020;49(1–2):185–96.
Evans, R. et al. Clinical Manifestations and Long-term Outcomes of IgG4-Related Kidney and Retroperitoneal Involvement in a United Kingdom IgG4-Related Disease Cohort. Kidney Int. Rep. 0, (2018).
Calice-Silva V, Sacomboio E, Raimann JG, Evans R, et al. Diagnostic performance of salivary urea nitrogen dipstick to detect and monitor acute kidney disease in patients with malaria. Malar J. 2018 Dec 18;17(1):477.
Evans, R. D. et al. Incidence, etiology, and outcomes of community-acquired acute kidney injury in pediatric admissions in Malawi. Perit. Dial. Int. J. Int. Soc. Perit. Dial. (2018). doi:10.3747/pdi.2017.00253
Evans, R. D. R. et al. Assessment of a Dedicated Transplant Low Clearance Clinic and Patient Outcomes on Dialysis After Renal Allograft Loss at 2 UK Transplant Centers. Transplant. Direct 4, e352 (2018)
Chikwapulo, B., Ngwira, B., Sagno, J. B. & Evans, R. Renal outcomes in patients initiated on tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-based antiretroviral therapy at a community health centre in Malawi. Int. J. STD AIDS 29, 650–657 (2018).
Cooke, W. R., Hemmila U.K, Craik, A.L, Mandala C.J, Mvula, P, Msusa, A, Dreyer, G, and Evans R. Incidence, aetiology and outcomes of obstetric-related acute kidney injury in Malawi: a prospective observational study. BMC Nephrol. 19, 25 (2018).
Evans, R. D. R. et al. A Salivary Urea Nitrogen Dipstick to Detect Obstetric-Related Acute Kidney Disease in Malawi. Kidney Int. Rep. 3, 178–184 (2018).
Vachharajani, T. J., Bello, A. K., Evans, R., et al. Nephrology Education and Continuing Education in Resource-Limited Settings. Semin. Nephrol. 37, 224–233 (2017).
Evans R, et al. Diagnostic Performance of a Saliva Urea Nitrogen Dipstick to Detect Kidney Disease in Malawi. Kidney Int Rep. 2017 Mar 1;2(2):219–27.
Evans RDR, et al. Incidence, aetiology and outcome of community-acquired Acute Kidney Injury in medical admissions in Malawi. BMC Nephrol. 18, 21 (2017).
Craik A, Hemmila U, Mtekateka M, Kawale Z, Kalata O, Manda L, Kumwenda V, Dreyer G, Evans, RDR. Partnerships to improve the detection and management of kidney disease globally – an update on the Bart’s-Malawi programme. British Journal Renal Medicine. 2016;4(1): 107-111.
Kirwan CJ, Wright K, Banda P, Chick A, Evans R, et al. A nurse-led intervention improves detection and management of AKI in Malawi. J Ren Care. 2016 Sep 1
Raimann JG, Calice-Silva V, Thijssen S, Nerbass FB, Evans R, et al. Saliva Urea Nitrogen Continuously Reflects Blood Urea Nitrogen after Acute Kidney Injury Diagnosis and Management: Longitudinal Observational Data from a Collaborative, International, Prospective, Multicenter Study. Blood Purif. 2016;42(1):64–72.
Evans RDR, et al. Tubulointerstitial nephritis in primary Sjögren syndrome: clinical manifestations and response to treatment. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2016;17(1):2
Evans R, et al. Deficiencies in education and experience in the management of acute kidney injury among Malawian healthcare workers. Malawi Med J. 2015;27(3):101–3.
Evans R, et al. Renal involvement in primary Sjögren’s syndrome. Rheumatol Oxf Engl. 2015 Sep;54(9):1541–8.
Tzoulis P, Evans R, et al. Multicentre study of investigation and management of inpatient hyponatraemia in the UK. Postgrad Med J. 2014 Dec;90(1070):694–8.
Evans R, et al. Purple urinary bag syndrome. BMJ Case Rep. 2014. doi:10.1136/bcr-2014- 207483
Evans R, et al. ANCA-associated vasculitis and pauci-immune glomerulonephritis in HIV disease. BMJ Case Rep. 2014. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2013-202423
Evans R, Salama AD. Update on rituximab: an established treatment for all immune-mediated kidney diseases? Nephron Clin Pract. 2014;126(3):97–109.
Evans R, et al. Tip variant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis associated with interferon-β treatment of multiple sclerosis. BMJ Case Rep. 2014. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2013-203077
Evans R, et al. Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in a patient treated with antiviral therapy for hepatitis C. BMJ Case Rep. 2014. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2013-203290
Alifrangis C, Evans R, et al. An unusual gum lesion with a positive pregnancy test. BMJ. 2011;343:d5009.
Evans RDR, et al. Spinal epidural abscess: a rare complication of olecranon bursitis. Orthop Rev. 2009 Jun 30;1(1):e1.

Book Chapters

Renal Involvement in Primary Sjögren’s s Syndrome. Rhys Evans, Stephen Walsh. In ‘Oxford Textbook of Sjögren’s Syndrome. Ed. Price E, Tappuni A. Oxford University Press, 2021. ISBN 978-0-198-80668-4.
Infectious Complications of Renal Transplantation. Rhys Evans, Sanjay Bhagani, Tanzina Haque, and Mark Haber. In 'Primer on Nephrology'. Ed. Harber M. Oxford, Springer, 2020. ISBN 978-3-030-76418-0.
Establishing an AKI Service. Sarah Hildebrand, Rhys Evans, Ed Kingdon. In 'Primer on Nephrology'. Ed. Harber M. Oxford, Springer, 2020. ISBN 978-3-030-76418-0.
Essential Practical Prescribing; Renal Chapter. Ed. Rhys Evans. Wiley-Blackwell, 2016. ISBN 978-1-118-83773-3