Pittsburgh Center for Kidney Research

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The critical role of the kidney in maintaining homeostatic balance, and the disorders of homeostasis that accompany diseases of the kidney and the associated loss of kidney function underscore the importance of this organ in human health. The Aims of our Pittsburgh Center for Kidney Research are (i) to provide critical resources for investigators throughout the US to advance studies of normal and abnormal kidney function and the cellular mechanisms that contribute to these states, (ii) to expand the diversity of the kidney research workforce by facilitating research efforts of early-stage investigators and established investigators who are new to kidney research, (iii) to educate students and community members about kidney function and disease through summer student enrichment program and a lay education program, and (iv) to speed research progress through active collaborations with other Consortium members. A central goal of our O'Brien Kidney National Resource Center is to provide investigators across the US with expertise in both classical and novel physiological approaches to dissect kidney function in normal and disease states. Our Cores will provide an integrated approach to address kidney-specific questions across a broad range of physical resolutions, ranging from molecules to whole animals using a variety of model systems amenable to genetic manipulation, and complement these studies using cutting edge imaging approaches tailored for an investigator’s specific needs. Our Resource Development Core will provide state-of-the-art imaging and develop new imaging tools and techniques to accelerate kidney-focused research, and complements our Biomedical Resource Cores that focus on Physiology and Model Systems. An Administrative Core provides oversight of the Center, its Core facilities, and the summer student enrichment and lay education programs. Our Center and Cores are led by a team of talented investigators with diverse research interests who have strong, collaborative research programs at the University of Pittsburgh and at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Our Center is designed to realize our goal of providing kidney investigators with the knowledge and cutting- edge tools necessary to study normal and abnormal kidney function.