The basic kidney biology programs focuses primarily on the normal development, structure, and function of the kidney, including its biochemistry, metabolism, transport, and fluid electrolyte dynamics.
Research is supported on the cellular and subcellular molecular mechanisms involved in transport processes that regulate solute and water excretion, with emphasis on how abnormalities in these transport processes and enzymes may contribute to disease states such as renal stones, hypertension, acid-base abnormalities, and progression of renal disease.
This program emphasizes applying cellular and molecular biologic techniques to identifying and characterizing growth factors and signal transduction systems and transport systems and respective genes, and to elucidating the structure of genes and their regulation during kidney organogenesis, which may continue to operate in the mature kidney.
For renal physiology, contact Dr. Chris Ketchum, Basic Renal Physiology Program Director; For cell biology, contact Dr. Chris Mullins, Urology Basic Cell Biology Program Director; For developmental biology or basic studies of acute renal failure, contact Dr. Deborah Hoshizaki, Kidney and Urogenital Development Program Director; Kidney Regeneration and Repair Program Director.