About Us

Consortium for the Epidemic of Nephropathy in Central America and Mexico - (CENCAM)

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is an illness affecting the kidneys, that if not identified and treated in early stages, requires transplant or dialysis to save the lives of patients. During the last 20 years, in several regions of Central America, there has been an increase of a new type of CKD that is not linked with diabetes, obesity, hypertension, or age. This disease is referred to as “Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown origin” (CKDu), CKD of “non-traditional causes” (CKDnt) or the “Mesoamerican Nephropathy” (MeN) when it occurs in this part of the world.  Those most frequently affected by Mesoamerican Nephropathy are young men that live near the Pacific coast of Mesoamerica and who do physically strenuous works in hot climates. CKDu has been responsible for over 20,000 deaths in Central America in recent years. Finding the causes and responding to the needs of patients affected by this disease has been declared a priority by COMISCA (The Health Ministers of Central America and the Dominican Republic) and PAHO (The Pan-American Health Organization, http://iris.paho.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/4401) on an international level.

The Consortium for the Epidemic of Nephropathy in Central America and Mexico (CENCAM) was created in 2012 as a society of scientists, clinicians, and other stakeholders involved with CKDu. The goal of CENCAM is to expand our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of CKDu, and to promote collaboration between countries and disciplines, in order to ultimately promote improved surveillance, prevention, and management of the disease. CENCAM started with 53 members from 15 countries and now has more than 130 members from over 20 countries.

Vission & Mission

Vision

A world where the causes and mechanisms of CKDu are understood and the burden of CKDu in affected communities is significantly reduced.

Mission

To contribute to knowledge generation, and to promote and facilitate activities to reduce the occurrence of CKD of unconventional origin in Central America and Mexico.

Primary Objectives:

  • To increase international collaboration for the exploration and research of CKDu
  • To raise awareness and action about CKDu in Central America and Mexico, and around the world
  • To contribute to a reduction in the overall prevalence and impact of CKDu

Organizational Activities:

  • Compile and disseminate research
  • Facilitate a collaborative approach to research globally
  • Provide a forum for communicating results
  • Provide expertise for individuals and organizations invested in CKDu-related work
  • Promote and host conferences, workshops, and other types of exchange related to CKDu
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Bylaws and policies

Read our Bylaws and Policies

Board Members

Current Board Members

Marvin González

Marvin González

Co-chair

Nicaragua

Nathan Raines

Nathan Raines

Co-chair

USA

Jennifer Crowe

Jennifer Crowe

Secretary

Costa Rica

Vicente Sánchez-Polo

Vicente Sánchez-Polo

Guatemala

Karen Courville

Karen Courville

Panama

Anna Strasma

Anna Strasma

USA

Vidhya Venugopal

Vidhya Venugopal

India

Ben Caplin

Ben Caplin

United Kingdom

Prior Board Members

Board members 2021-2024

Marvin González

Marvin González

Co-chair

Nicaragua

Nathan Raines

Nathan Raines

Co-chair

USA

Jennifer Crowe

Jennifer Crowe

Secretary

Costa Rica

Marta Avellán

Marta Avellán

Costa Rica

Dan Brooks

Dan Brooks

USA

Pablo Garcia

Pablo Garcia

Guatemala

Carl-Gustaf Elinder

Carl-Gustaf Elinder

Sweden

Vidhya Venugopal

Vidhya Venugopal

India

Vicente Sánchez-Polo

Vicente Sánchez-Polo

Guatemala

Prior Board Members

Board members 2019-2021

Dan Brooks

Dan Brooks

Co-chair

USA

Marvin González

Marvin González

Co-chair

Nicaragua

Jennifer Crowe

Jennifer Crowe

Secretary

Costa Rica

Ricardo Correa-Rotter

Ricardo Correa-Rotter

Mexico

Carl-Gustaf Elinder

Carl-Gustaf Elinder

Sweden

Vidhya Venugopal

Vidhya Venugopal

India

Sandra Peraza

Sandra Peraza

El Salvador

Vicente Sánchez-Polo

Vicente Sánchez-Polo

Guatemala

Board members elected June 2016 -2019

Ricardo Correa-Rotter

Ricardo Correa-Rotter

Mexico

Kristina Jakobsson

Kristina Jakobsson

Sweden

Jennifer Crowe

Jennifer Crowe

Costa Rica

Joaquín Barnoya

Joaquín Barnoya

Guatemala

Dan Brooks

Dan Brooks

USA

Ramón García Trabanino

Ramón García Trabanino

El Salvador

Marvin González

Marvin González

Nicaragua

Carolina Guzmán Quilo

Carolina Guzmán Quilo

Guatemala

Magdalena Madero Róvalo

Magdalena Madero Róvalo

Mexico

Board members elected 2013 - 2016

Catharina Wesseling

Catharina Wesseling

Netherlands

Jennifer Crowe

Jennifer Crowe

Costa Rica

Ricardo Correa-Rotter

Ricardo Correa-Rotter

Mexico

Aurora Aragón

Aurora Aragón

Nicaragua

Ricardo Leiva

Ricardo Leiva

El Salvador

Dan Brooks

Dan Brooks

USA

Kristina Jakobsson

Kristina Jakobsson

Sweden

Subcommittees

There are currently three sub-committees within the CENCAM Board

Outreach and Membership Subcommittee

The Outreach and Membership subcommittee is responsible for overseeing key CENCAM communication tools, including the CENCAM website, the CENCAM listserv, and CENCAM social media accounts. It also manages collaborations between CENCAM and other professional organizations. Finally, it is responsible for new member recruitment approval, as well as membership services and surveys.

Research, Education, and Clinical Subcommittee

The Research, Education, and Clinical subcommittee is responsible for developing and maintaining CENCAM informational resources. These include maintaining the CKDu / Mesoamerican Nephropathy Wikipedia and UpToDate pages, and regularly updating and releasing a summary document of published CKDu-related research. This subcommittee also oversees the development and conduct of webinars, workshops, and other educational offerings covering research and clinical care-related topics in CKDu.

Executive and Logistics Subcommittee

The Executive and Logistics subcommittee oversees organizational structure, maintenance, and logistics. Tasks include organizing and leading CENCAM board meetings, signing off on letters of collaboration with other organizations, and acquiring funding for CENCAM-related activities. This committee also oversees planning and execution of the CENCAM international workshop.

If you are not a board member but are interested in volunteering to work on one of the CENCAM subcommittees, please contact us to discuss!