His passion comes from personal experience. “I have a deep understanding of patients with CKD because my mother was a patient on dialysis for three years – so I have seen how CKD impacts patients’ lives,” he says, adding it was the “perfect match” when he came to work with BC Renal.

His expertise lies in finding the right methods to answer a research question. For that reason, Atiquzzaman has collaborated with many BC Renal colleagues on a wide swath of research topics, from exploring the efficacy of new medications to predicting kidney function over time. In one particularly important study he collaborated on, he helped confirm the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in non-dialysis CKD patients, which was the first study of its kind during the immediate fallout of the pandemic.

A major advantage that makes his work easier, Atiquzzaman says, is the massive database BC Renal set up, called PROMIS, which contains comprehensive data of 30,000 to 40,000 people diagnosed with CKD from across BC, as well as the province’s well-established CKD clinics. “That is a strength for us,” he emphasizes, explaining how this data from PROMIS and the CKD clinics can often lead to pragmatic trials that directly benefit patients.

In future work, Atiquzzaman plans to explore the patient acceptability of newer generation potassium binders, patiromer and sodium zirconium cyclosilicate, compared to the older generation ones. As well, he is working on a research project to optimize the timing of the vascular access creation in patients with CKD approaching kidney failure.

These various, upcoming research projects continue to align with Atiquzzaman’s ultimate goal. He says, “Whether it’s the effect of medication or a clinical process, ultimately I do research whenever I see an opportunity that directly impacts patients’ quality of life or improves their outcome.”