Division of Nephrology and Hypertension

Research Centers and Labs

Research Centers

  • Center for Matrix Biology: An interdepartmental group of basic and clinical scientists, whose research involves different aspects of biology of the extracellular matrices
  • Vanderbilt O'Brien Kidney Center: The mission of the VOKC is to provide technical and conceptual support to understand mechanisms and identify potential therapies for acute and chronic kidney disease.
  • The Kidney Project: A long-term effort to engineer an implantable artificial kidney to improve the lives of patients with renal failure

Research Labs

  • Bock-Pozzi-Zent Kidney Cell Biology Laboratory: From extracellular  matrix receptors to signaling and cell structure
  • Gohar Lab: Identifying the role of renal estrogen signaling in the regulation of blood pressure and renal sodium handling. 
  • Haase Lab: The laboratory of Dr. Volker Haase studies hypoxia response pathways in erythropoiesis and iron metabolism, chronic kidney injury and ischemic pre-conditioning, inflammation, kidney development and tumorigenesis.
  • Woodard Lab: We use design principles of engineering to guide our experiments as we develop new medicines for the most common illnesses in nephrology.

Spotlight on the Kidney Project

The Kidney Project focuses on Artificial Kidney Development, as Dr. William H. Fissell describes in the video.