Alumni Board Specialty Spotlight: Nuzhat Ashai, MD

Helping patients navigate chronic kidney disease means guiding them through some of life’s most challenging and uncertain moments. As a general nephrologist with a special interest in transplant, hemodialysis and glomerular diseases of the kidney at Cleveland Clinic Strongsville Family Health Center, Nuzhat Ashai, MD (H/N’93) has devoted decades to caring for patients through complex diagnoses, dialysis and, in some cases, kidney transplantation. She is medical director of the Brook Park dialysis unit.

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Dr. Ashai’s path to medicine began in Pakistan, inspired by her physician father, and ultimately led her to Cleveland Clinic for fellowship training before returning years later as staff. Along the way, she balanced medical training, motherhood and the demands of building a career in a specialty she describes as both challenging and deeply rewarding.

Here, she reflects on mentorship, resilience, family and the lasting connections that brought her back to Cleveland Clinic and the Alumni Association.

Q. What led you to a career in medicine — and specifically nephrology?

A. My father was really my inspiration. He was a physician in Pakistan, and growing up, I would hear his stories about medical school and caring for patients. I saw how respected he was in the community and how much he genuinely enjoyed helping people. Our neighbors would come to him at all hours with sick children or elderly parents, and he was always there for them. That left a huge impression on me.

My older sister also went into medicine. We both followed in his footsteps. Initially, I thought about cardiology, but during residency and my nephrology rotations, I realized nephrology offered the right balance for me. It’s a very specialized field, and dialysis and transplantation allow you to build long-term relationships with patients while still performing procedures and managing complex care.

I am proud of the fact that I graduated with honors and distinction from my father’s alma mater, and my name is engraved on a plaque in the main hall of King Edward Medical College in Pakistan with a few others from the graduating class of 1983. This personal achievement was made more special because it felt like a meaningful tribute to the path he had paved before me and connected me to his legacy.

Q. What brought you to Cleveland Clinic?

A. I came to the United States in 1984 after marrying my husband, who is an orthodontist. We moved first to St. Louis, then to Chicago for residency training, and eventually to Cleveland in 1987.

There were definitely challenges adjusting to a new country, training system and culture while also starting a family. At one point during residency, my daughter lived with her grandparents in Pakistan for nine months because we were trying to manage training and work schedules. Bringing her back to Cleveland and rebuilding our family life here was incredibly meaningful.

I completed my nephrology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic in 1993. It was an outstanding learning experience. After fellowship, I helped launch Kaiser Permanente’s nephrology program in Ohio and spent more than two decades there in clinical and leadership roles before returning to Cleveland Clinic about 10 years ago. In many ways, it felt like coming home.

Q. What do you find most rewarding about your work today?

A. One of the most rewarding moments is seeing dialysis patients receive a kidney transplant and truly regain their lives. I’ve experienced that not only as a physician but also personally. My husband eventually developed kidney disease himself, spent time on dialysis and later received a kidney transplant. Seeing both sides of that journey gave me a completely different perspective on what patients and families experience.

Dialysis changes every aspect of a person’s life, and transplantation can change it just as dramatically for the better. When patients receive a transplant, we celebrate with them.

In clinic, I also find it incredibly gratifying to educate and reassure patients. Sometimes patients arrive terrified because they’ve been told they need to see a kidney specialist and immediately assume dialysis is inevitable. Being able to explain their condition, walk them through the stages of kidney disease and reassure them that there are treatments and ways to stabilize kidney function can completely change their outlook. You can see the relief on their faces. Earning their trust is a privilege.

Q. Who were some of your mentors at Cleveland Clinic?

A.I had wonderful mentors during my training. Charles Mbanefo, MD (RES'85), was my mentor in residency at St. Luke’s hospital encouraged my interest in nephrology and advised me to join the Cleveland Clinic nephrology fellowship.

Other mentors in the nephrology program with whom I had a close opportunity to work with included Philip Hall, MD (IM’68, H/N’69, RES’70), Joseph Nally, MD (Staff'87), Marc Pohl, MD (Staff'73), Emmanuel Bravo, MD (Staff'70), Martin Schreiber, MD (IM'79, H/N'80), Robert Heyka, MD (H/N'87) and Emil Paganini, MD (H/N'79).

Q. What motivated you to become involved with the Alumni Association?

A. Dianne Sandy, MD (IM'95, H/N'98), who trained at Cleveland Clinic and briefly worked with me at Kaiser, reached out and encouraged me to join. She spoke so positively about the Alumni Association and the connections it creates.

When I attended my first meeting last fall, I loved it immediately. I saw former colleagues and alumni I never expected to reconnect with again. There was such a strong sense of community and shared history.

I also really appreciated learning more about the research and innovation happening across Cleveland Clinic today. We toured some of the laboratory spaces, which was fascinating. The Alumni Association creates opportunities not only to reconnect socially but also to continue learning and giving back.

Q. What do you enjoy outside of work?

A. I’m an avid reader. I love novels, especially by authors like John Grisham, Robin Cook and Michael Palmer. Reading has always been one of my biggest passions.

I also love music and recently started taking vocal lessons because I enjoy singing. Much of the music I listen to is Pakistani and Indian music, which is deeply connected to poetry and storytelling. My father was actually a published poet, and growing up, I wrote poetry as well.

Most importantly, I love spending time with family. My daughter is a forensic psychiatrist in Chicago and has two children, and my son is a software engineer who recently welcomed his first child. Being a grandmother has been a wonderful new chapter.

Q. What advice would you share with future alumni?

A. Stay connected. The relationships you build during training stay with you throughout your career, even when life takes you in different directions. Cleveland Clinic has an extraordinary alumni community, and there’s something very meaningful about reconnecting with people who shared those formative experiences with you.