Deconstructing Kidney Development and Repair for Therapeutic Opportunity

Function follows form. For the kidney, patterning of tubular epithelial networks, arising from distinct cellular progenitors, and an organ-wide alignment of functional domains, underpins body fluid homeostasis. Kidney injury invokes repair responses with maladaptive outcomes. The CDC estimates 1 in 7 US adults have chronic kidney disease. In light of clinical need, our group has two broad interests: fully understanding and replicating human kidney development to better engineer kidney replacement and generate authentic disease models; and, improving renal injury outcomes through a mechanistic understanding of endogenous repair processes.