Department of Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics
The Department of Pediatrics

Faculty Biography

The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston is dedicated to improving the health and welfare of all infants, children, and adolescents.


Dr. Rita D. Swinford

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Education:

M.D. State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY

Residency: New England Medical Center, Boston, MA

Fellowship: Massachusetts General Hospital-Boston, MA

Clinical and Research Interests:

  1. Director Pediatric End Stage Kidney Disease Program
  2. Director Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program
  3. Medical Director Children's Memorial Hermann Dialysis Unit

Dr. Swinford's clinical studies explore the ramifications of longer standing chronic kidney disease in children on growth and nutrition, with particular emphasis on traditional cardiovascular risk factors and modifications of those risk factor thereof. Additionally, nontraditional risk factors with respect to altered vascular compliance are being evaluated. She is also one of the major consultants for research studies performed in the use of human growth hormone in chronic kidney disease.

Publications and Presentations:

  • Mahan JD, Warady BA, Frane J, Rosenfeld RG, Davis AD, Swinford RD, Lippe B.  Defining the Expected Growth Response to Growth Hormone Therapy in Children with Short Stature and Chronic Kidney Disease Pediatr Nephrol 25:1125–1130, 2010
  • Bell 1, Bolar K, Swinford RD, Hoffman AR, Maneatis T, Lippe B Long-Term Safety of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone:The National Cooperative Growth Study Experience Submitted  Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism J Clin Endocrinol Metab 95:167–177, 2010
  • Wenderfer SE, Swinford RD, Mauiyyedi S, Witte DP, Braun MC.  Cytomegalovirus and recurrent idiopathic membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type 1: cause or consequence?  Transplantation 83(4):523-4, 2007
  • Gruber SA, ManciasP, Swinford RD, Prashner HR, Clifton J, Henry MH.  Living donor nerve transplantation for global obstetric brachial plexus palsy  J Reconstr Microsurg 22(4):245-54, 2006
  • Portman RJ, McNiece KL, Swinford RD, Braun MC, Samuels JA  Pediatric hypertension: diagnosis, evaluation, management, and treatment for the primary care physician.  Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 35(7)262-94, 2005
  • Swinford, RD, Portman RJ.  Measurement and treatment of elevated blood pressure in the pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease.  Adv Chronic Kidney Dis 11(2):143-61, 2004
  • Yoshida T, Kurella M, Beato F, Min H, Ingelfinger JR, Stears RL, Swinford RD, Gulolans ST, Tang SS.  Monitoring changes in gene expression in renal ischemia-reperfusion in the rat.  Kidney International 61(5):1646-54, 2002
  • Swinford, R.D., Pascual M, Haveran L, Hsu, CY, Diamant D, Tang S-S, Kaplan B, Ingelfinger JR.  Rapamycin Enhances Transforming Growth Factor Beta Expression in Immortalized Rat Proximal Tubule Cells. Transplantation  73(2):319-320, 2002
  • H.-U. Meier-Kriesche, Swinford RD, Brannan P, Kahan BD, Portman RJReduced variability of Neoral Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Renal Transplants.  Pediatric Nephrology 15:2-6, 2000.
  • H.-U. Meier-Kriesche, Bonilla MA, Swinford RD, Ferris M, Kahan BD, Portman RJ.  A limited sampling strategy for the estimation of Neoral Aucs in pediatric patients.  Pediatric Nephrology 13: 742-747, 1999

Faculty Biography

Dr. Rita D. Swinford
  • Dr. Rita D. Swinford
    Associate Professor
  • Department of Pediatrics
    Division of Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension
  • University of Texas-Houston Medical School
    6431 Fannin Street, MSB 3.124
    Houston, Texas 77030
  • phone: (713) 500-5670
    fax: (713) 500-5680
    e-mail: Rita.D.Swinford@ uth.tmc.edu
Click for my PubMed publications