In our latest episode of Pod of Inquiry, Dr. Stephen Barrett sits down with Dr. Robin Rose, who shares her extraordinary journey from kidney cancer and nephrectomy to developing a groundbreaking approach to kidney health she calls “renology.”
📌 Why This Episode Is a Must-Listen:
After losing a kidney to cancer in 2013, Dr. Rose was told her GFR of 30 was something she’d have to accept. Conventional medicine offered little hope beyond managing her decline. Instead of accepting this path, she embarked on a mission that would transform not only her own health but potentially how we think about kidney function altogether.
🔍 Discover:
- How Dr. Rose improved her GFR from 30 to 68 with just ONE kidney
- Why the standard approach to kidney disease may be fundamentally flawed
- The revolutionary role of bioregulatory peptides in kidney regeneration
- Breakthrough in Kidney Health Recovery
- How kidney function impacts virtually every system in your body
- The concept of “renology” – focusing on kidney success instead of kidney failure
- Breakthrough in Kidney Health Recovery
💡 Key Insight: “Stage 2 is not normal. Stage 2 is really where it all begins.” – Dr. Robin Rose
Even if nephrology isn’t your primary interest, this episode reveals critical connections between kidney function and overall health that could change how you approach patient care or your own wellness journey.
Dr. Rose’s compelling story and revolutionary approach might just change everything you thought you knew about kidney health.
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Guest Biography
Dr. Robin Rose
Born in Brooklyn, raised in Jersey, Robin Rose MD began her life journey as a child protégé in the New York ballet world and then evolved to become a published writer and artist by the end of high school. Her medical odyssey began in 1970 when she shadowed an MD while living in a fishing village in India. By the end of the 1970s, she studied plant-based medicine and veggie cooking, serving communities in New Jersey, later working for $2/hour as a nursing assistant in a rural middle Tennessee county hospital. 1981 she graduated with honors from the U of Tennessee Health Sciences Center (BSN/RN with a PNP certification]. She completed a graduate MSN/FNP program in 1984 at the U of Missouri at Columbia.
After a brief stint in a norther Arizona private primary care practice, she realized the urgent need to learn more in order to provide the kind of precision primary care she wanted to offer. With an arduous commitment, she completed pre-med requirements, while attending as FNP at a rural indigenous clinic.
August 1986, she enrolled at the U of Arizona College of Medicine, completing the course of study in 5 years (extended when her spouse relapsed and then died of leukemia). During that time she had the honor of serving as medical student board member of the American Holistic Medical Association, while also attending massage school classes and enjoying the mentorship of Andrew Weil MD. The experience was unique, as she began to evolve agility by including complementary offerings to manifest a holistic medical education – classes with herbalists, extracurricular nutrition and acupuncture study, quality clinical time on the Apache and Papago reservations, and a prolonged rotation in Sri Lanka.
After graduation in 1991, she completed 3 years at the renowned UCS Santa Rosa Family and Community Medicine Residency. The opportunity to deepen knowledge of conventional medicine was outstanding, and yet it was also embellished with an array of clinical knowledge that included botanical medicine, nutritional medicine, homeopathy and osteopathy, with further study and practice of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture.
In 1994, she moved to Ashland Oregon, to serve in a community that embraced the eclectic regenerative and preventative practice she offered from a charming home office (with offerings from standard to creative medical solutions to health challenges, including hospital and house calls, nursing homes, and group classes, including middle eastern dance offered for women over 40.
After many years and some notable life challenges, Dr. Rose shifted to a smaller office, ultimately taking a sabbatical hiatus after family losses. In time, she enjoyed a move to Hawaii and a new marriage. When Dr. Rose entered the realm of the wounded healer, fulfilling personal healing needs became priority. The evolving new primary care kidney medicine – Renology – was inspired by wholistic cellular regenerative and preventative wisdom. In time, she began supporting other physicians, guiding their understanding for achieving kidney success for patients. After discovering the extraordinary world of peptides – and more specifically the bioregulator peptides – this volume was birthed – it is offered in the spirit of achieving kidney success.
Show Notes from this episode
Introduction (00:00-01:12)
- Host Dr. Stephen Barrett introduces guest Dr. Robin Rose
- Topic: Bio-regulatory peptides in treating chronic kidney disease
- Discussion of kidney function’s relationship with other bodily systems
Dr. Rose’s Personal Story (01:50-11:25)
- Dr. Rose practiced as a holistic family doctor for decades
- In 2013, she contracted what she believes was norovirus
- After numerous life stressors, she began experiencing high blood pressure
- Diagnosed with kidney tumor and underwent nephrectomy
- Three months post-surgery discovered her GFR was 30 (severely reduced)
- Conventional medical advice was limited and discouraging
- Began researching kidney disease personally due to lack of helpful guidance
- Discovered that conventional medicine often waits until 50% kidney function is lost (GFR 60) before taking significant action
- Implemented lifestyle, diet, and supplement interventions based on research
- Raised her GFR to 51, but encountered discouragement from specialists
- Eventually raised her GFR to 68 (with only one kidney)
- Developed concept of “renology” – the art and clinical science of kidney success
Kidney Disease Pathology Discussion (11:25-15:19)
- Explains kidney damage progression begins with endothelial damage
- Kidney tubules are damaged first before showing in standard tests
- Discusses importance of mitochondrial function
- Explains how dysbiosis and uremic toxins affect kidney health
- Describes how inflammation, oxidative damage, and fibrosis progress
Bioregulatory Peptides (15:19-20:04)
- Discusses introduction to peptides like BPC-157
- Mentions meeting experts in the field including Bill Lawrence
- Discovered the kidney bioregulator peptide “pilotax”
- Explains kidney’s connection to various body systems (kidney-gut axis, kidney-brain axis, etc.)
- Used this approach to improve her own kidney function
Discussion of Bioregulatory Peptides (22:52-27:39)
- Dr. Rose participated in Bill Lawrence’s peptide study
- Explains how bioregulatory peptides work at cellular level
- Peptides repair epigenetic damage and restore protein production
- Saw improvement in GFR from 50s to 60 during peptide treatment
- Discusses conventional nephrology approach – primarily treating hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia
- Critiques conventional renal dietician advice as insufficient
Discussion on Conventional Nephrology (27:39-30:12)
- Dr. Rose shares negative experiences with conventional nephrologists
- Describes being dismissed and humiliated by specialists
- Discusses importance of primary care catching kidney issues early
- Explains benefits of functional nephrology approach
Lifestyle Components for Kidney Health (30:12-35:23)
- Emphasizes cornerstones of health: exercise, sleep, nutrition
- Discusses importance of stress reduction and toxin reduction
- Mentions Organic Acids Test (OAT) for toxin assessment
- Importance of self-love and self-care in recovery
- Contrasts her “success” approach against conventional “failure” approach
Kidney’s Complexity and Connections (37:23-43:26)
- Discusses complexity of renal physiology
- Explains how fibrosis disrupts the intricate tubule system
- Describes kidney’s connection to other organs (eyes, cardiovascular system)
- Shares anecdote about medical professionals’ lack of understanding about these connections
- Discusses strategies like alkalization to support kidney function
Dr. Rose’s Book on “Renology” (43:26-48:53)
- Introduces her book on “renology” – the art and clinical science of kidney success
- Book has three major sections:
- Topics of kidney success (prevention, diet, toxins, heavy metals)
- Russian research on peptides
- Materia Medica covering different bioregulators by body system
- Explains the book is heavily referenced and educational
- Discusses the “kidney-demic” – increasing kidney disease prevalence
- Points out people generally don’t die directly from kidney disease but from associated conditions
Additional Health Connections (48:53-49:16)
- Discusses kidney disease’s relationship to cardiovascular disease (30-100x risk)
- Mentions connections to neurodegenerative diseases
- Describes kidney disease as an “exacerbator” of other health issues
Book Information and Close (49:16-51:36)
- Website: renologyiskidneysuccess.com
- Dr. Rose explains the book offers whole-body regeneration through kidney health
- Host thanks guest and closes interview
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