It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Professor Emeritus Darrell Dean Fanestil, M.D. He was the inaugural chief of the Division of Nephrology-Hypertension at UC San Diego School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine, and a former chair of the UC San Diego Academic Senate. He passed away on August 12 at the age of 90.
Dr. Fanestil came to UC San Diego in 1968 to lead the development of the Division of Nephrology-Hypertension. He built a division dedicated to understanding the physiology of the kidney and blood pressure control, and recruited faculty committed to both teaching and practicing medicine. These tenets remain central to the division’s mission today, which now has 36 full-time faculty members.
Deeply committed to the career development of faculty and trainees, Dr. Fanestil was passionate about mentoring physicians in basic and applied research. He supervised the training of many post-doctoral fellows who continued their careers as physician-scientists, several of whom remain active UC San Diego faculty members. Dr. Fanestil’s commitment to the division extended well beyond his tenure as chief. In 2022, he and his wife, Dorthy Ann, established the Darrel and Dorthy Ann Fanestil Family Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Nephrology-Hypertension to support research endeavors and career development of trainees and junior faculty within the division in perpetuity.
Dr. Fanestil’s research focused broadly on the kidney’s role in blood pressure regulation. His seminal work provides insights into the role of the thiazide-sensitive sodium chloride channel in regulating sodium and fluid homeostasis, and its critical role in calcium homeostasis. Inhibition of this channel remains central to the treatment of hypertension, kidney stones and osteoporosis today. He also made important contributions in investigating the actions of aldosterone and other steroids in ion transport, and the role of these steroids in kidney cancer.
Born and raised in Kansas, Dr. Fanestil attended the University of Kansas (KU) for his undergraduate and medical degrees. He completed his internship, residency and fellowship trainings at institutions in Boston, La Jolla, Baltimore and San Francisco, respectively. He became the inaugural director of Nephrology at KU in 1965 before joining UC San Diego.
His legacy remains extremely vibrant in the Division of Nephrology-Hypertension through the mentorship and career development that he fostered throughout his career. Those who worked with Dr. Fanestil consistently describe his generosity in time, deep intellectual curiosity, dedication to rigor in research, and care and concern for their professional development and personal wellbeing.
Dr. Fanestil is survived by his wife of 69 years, Dorthy Ann; their four children – Brad, John, Jane Peterson, and Kay Gilbert; nine grandchildren; and one great granddaughter.
A memorial service will be held at La Jolla United Methodist Church (6063 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA) on Saturday, September 7 at 11 a.m.
Donations can be made in Dr. Fanestil’s memory to The Preuss School UCSD Opportunity Fund.
