Dear Friends and Colleagues:

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of Dr. Renée Habib, on December 4, 2009, in Paris, France. Mme Habib was one of the giants of Pediatric Nephrology. Throughout her professional life as a physician and scientist, she demonstrated extraordinary insight and understanding regarding the pathology of kidney diseases and contributed to significant advances in the treatment of different disorders. Far beyond her exceptional scientific contributions, however, Mme Habib was also an outstanding teacher and mentor, devoted to training the next generation of clinicians and investigators across the globe. On a personal note, I had the great privilege and honor of working with and learning from her and she was one of my most influential mentors. Mme Habib was instrumental in the establishment of Pediatric Nephrology as a discipline in scientific communities and institutions worldwide, and she touched the lives of many of us, directly and indirectly, in her tireless efforts to expand the research scope and number of pediatric nephrologists internationally.

Pediatric Nephrology has lost one its founders but she will remain a seminal figure in the scientific history and progress of our discipline. Her legacy will be appreciated and admired for generations to come.

Isidro B. Salusky, M.D.
IPNA Secretary General