Yale Kidney Center receives renewed grant funding

The total grant award of $6 million is for the five-year period 2018-2023.

The George M. O’Brien Kidney Center at Yale School of Medicine has received renewed funding from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. The total grant award of $6 million is for the five-year period 2018-2023.

The overarching goal of the center, which operates in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and is directed by Dr. Peter S. Aronson, is to facilitate basic, translational, and clinical research that will advance the prevention and treatment of kidney diseases. Major research areas of emphasis are renal epithelial cell biology and physiology; inherited kidney disease and kidney development; acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease; and vascular biology, inflammation and glomerular disease.

A critically important benefit of the center is to provide renal investigators both at Yale and across the country with access to highly specialized services not otherwise routinely available to support their research. To this end, the center includes three research service cores:


Animal Physiology and Phenotyping Core

The Animal Physiology and Phenotyping Core provides specialized services and training for assessing renal function and blood pressure regulation in small animals. Its services include clearance studies in anesthetized animals, perfusion fixation for histology studies, serum and urine electrolyte values, acid-base parameters, serum and urine creatinine, balance studies in metabolic cages, acute blood pressure measurements in anesthetized mice, and chronic awake blood pressure measurements by radiotelemetry.

Animal Physiology and Phenotyping Core: Patricia Preisig, director; Heino Velazquez, associate director.


Disease Models and Mechanisms Core

The Disease Models and Mechanisms Core provides users with ready access to unique mouse models, associated cell line resources, and advanced human translational technologies. Its services include bacterial artificial chromosome recombineering and transgenesis, support for CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing for mouse line production, support for kidney cell line production by genome editing or from mutant mice, and support for targeted protein-based interrogation of human urine and kidney biopsy samples.

Disease Models and Mechanisms Core: Stefan Somlo and Lloyd Cantley, co-directors.


Human Genetics and Clinical Research Core

The Human Genetics and Clinical Research Core provides services and training to enhance translational studies in kidney disease. Initially established to facilitate genetics studies, its services include patient DNA extraction and archiving, tools for high throughput SNP genotyping and DNA sequencing, analysis of genetic linkage and linkage disequilibrium, and whole exome capture and sequencing. Its services have been expanded to now facilitate translational research beyond genetics, including support for protocol development, patient recruitment, sample processing, biobanking, multiplex assays for biomarkers, and biostatistical and epidemiological support.

Human Genetics and Clinical Research Core: Shrikant Mane, F. Perry Wilson, Stefan Somlo, Chirag R. Parikh (Johns Hopkins University), co-directors.

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Ziba Kashef: ziba.kashef@yale.edu, 203-436-9317