Current Research Activities

The Nephrology Training Program exists within a universe of research training opportunities at The University of Michigan.

The Division of Nephrology maintains major laboratory research commitments in the areas of podocyte and mesangial cell biology and biochemistry, signal transduction, renal development, glycolipid biology, transport molecular biology, hypertension, mechanisms of acute tubular injury, diabetic nephropathy and vascular disease, and novel renal replacement therapies. Particularly close research relationships exist between the Nephrology Division and the following departments:

Biochemistry
Biomedical Engineering
Biostatistics
Cell and Molecular Biology
Molecular Medicine and Genetics
Pathology
Pharmacology
Physiology

As well as the following institutes/centers:

Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Comprehensive Cancer Center
Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center

Several of our faculty members have joint appointments in basic science departments. The unique basic science program within the Division has been recognized repeatedly by the NIH with a George M. O'Brien Kidney and Urologic Research Center grant. Awarded to only 5 kidney research programs nationally, this grant has been awarded to the Michigan Division of Nephrology for four consecutive five-year cycles.

The Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (KECC) at the University of Michigan is a world leader in renal epidemiology and outcomes research. The many research programs of the KECC determine cost and outcomes for kidney patients nationwide and have had major impacts on the practice of nephrology in the United States and abroad. In collaboration with the KECC, the Arbor Research Collaborative for Health (formerly the University Renal Research and Education Association (URREA)), a not-for-profit research organization, now administers the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). The SRTR supports the ongoing evaluation of the scientific and clinical status of solid organ transplantation in the United States . By combining Masters coursework at the School of Public Health with hands on research experience, the KECC provides an excellent environment for fellowship training in outcomes and epidemiology.

Bench-to-Bedside: This depth and breadth of faculty creates exciting possibilities for translational research, and the collaborative efforts among basic scientists and clinical investigators provide a unique and vibrant interdisciplinary environment for junior faculty. A good overview of the large variety of programs at the Medical School can be found at:

http://www.med.umich.edu/medschool/about/dept.html

The Division of Nephrology and its affiliated faculties include a talented group of individuals with diverse academic interests that provide multiple training opportunities in the following areas:

Basic Science or Biomedical Engineering
Clinical Investigation and Epidemiology