Dr. Robert Toto, MD
Not yet claimedNephrologist, Diabetes doctor, Hypertension specialist · Physician (MD)
Dallas, TX
Dr. Robert Toto is a kidney doctor and professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. His work focuses on chronic kidney disease, and he has written extensively on kidney disease research.
About Dr. Robert Toto, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026 · next review Dec 19, 2026Dr. Robert D. Toto is a kidney doctor (nephrologist) at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He joined the UT Southwestern faculty in July 1983 and holds the title of Mary M. Conroy Professor of Kidney Disease in the Division of Nephrology, along with Distinguished Teaching Professor. (https://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/17371/robert-toto.html)
His clinical and research work focuses on kidney disease caused by high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as cholesterol problems and anemia in chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients. A UT Southwestern article says he has written more than 250 articles and textbook chapters on kidney disease. (https://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/17371/robert-toto.html, https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/ctplus/stories/2026/erp26-40-robert-toto.html)
Besides seeing patients, he holds administrative and research leadership roles at UT Southwestern, including Associate Dean for clinical and translational research, Director of the Center for Translational Medicine, and Medical Director of the Multi-Specialty Clinic. He has served on the editorial boards of several kidney journals. (https://utswmed.org/doctors/robert-toto/, https://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/17371/robert-toto.html)
Federal CMS Open Payments records for 2021–2025 list $60,653.87 to him across 48 records, with the largest amounts from AstraZeneca UK Limited, Amgen, Novo Nordisk, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, and Calliditas Therapeutics. Payments from drug and device companies to physicians are common and legal, and often reflect research or consulting work. (https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/)
- Medical school and training
- He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1977, trained in internal medicine at the University of Michigan and Baylor College of Medicine, and completed nephrology fellowship training including at UT Southwestern. profiles.utsouthwestern.edu
- Endowed professorship
- He is the Mary M. Conroy Professor of Kidney Disease and a Distinguished Teaching Professor at UT Southwestern, where he has been on faculty since 1983. profiles.utsouthwestern.edu
- Kidney, diabetes and blood pressure focus
- His listed research topics include kidney disease from high blood pressure and diabetes, cholesterol problems in chronic kidney disease, and anemia in kidney disease and dialysis. profiles.utsouthwestern.edu
- Journal editorial boards
- He has served on the editorial boards of Kidney International, the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, and other kidney journals. profiles.utsouthwestern.edu
- Clinical trial publications
- He is a co-author on a cardiovascular outcomes trial of linagliptin published in JAMA and on 2025 analyses of dapagliflozin and kidney function decline in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. doximity.com
- Research leadership roles
- He is Associate Dean for clinical and translational research in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Director of the Center for Translational Medicine, and Medical Director of the Multi-Specialty Clinic. utswmed.org
- Hospitals and clinic
- Listed hospital affiliations include William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital, Parkland Health, and UT Southwestern Zale Lipshy Pavilion; he is listed at the UT Southwestern Kidney & Liver Disease Clinic on N. St. Paul St. in Dallas. doctor.webmd.com
- Industry payments on record
- CMS Open Payments lists $60,653.87 across 48 records from 2021 through 2025, with the largest totals from AstraZeneca UK Limited, Amgen, and Novo Nordisk. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
- Nephrology NPI registration
- His NPI, 1245209725, is registered under the nephrology taxonomy code 207RN0300X. npidb.org
Worth knowing
- Board certification could not be independently confirmed in the sources reviewed. A Doximity profile shows a certification block, but the specific certifications were not retrievable. Patients can verify certification directly with ABIM/ABMS or the Texas Medical Board. doximity.com
- Online listings do not fully agree on details. One aggregator shows his credential as 'DMD' rather than MD under the same NPI, and UT Southwestern pages list slightly different versions of his associate dean title. topnpi.com
- His Doximity page appears to be unclaimed, so information there may not have been reviewed or updated by him. doximity.com
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$60,654
48 payments
| 2021 | $14,615 |
| 2022 | $9,306 |
| 2023 | $9,177 |
| 2024 | $15,690 |
| 2025 | $11,866 |
Top payers
- AstraZeneca UK Limited$16,338
- Amgen Inc.$8,697
- Novo Nordisk AS$8,102
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.$6,670
- Calliditas Therapeutics US Inc.$4,865
Payment types
- Consulting Fee$49,846
- Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program$9,575
- Food and Beverage$1,141
- Travel and Lodging$93
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: utswmed.org · profiles.utsouthwestern.edu · utsouthwestern.edu · doximity.com · researchgate.net · healthgrades.com · doctor.webmd.com · directory.dmagazine.com. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above, reviewed every three months. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Division of Nephrology
5323 Harry Hines Blvd
Dallas, TX 75390
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