Broad range of scientific expertise and research interests
Throughout its history, the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has been a leader in medical education, research and patient care. Our faculty represent a group of talented and accomplished researchers with a broad range of scientific expertise and research interests.
There are currently 70 clinical and research faculty within the division. The research group consists of 29 investigators whose primary appointment is in either Adult or Pediatric Nephrology, and 12 other clinical and basic scientists who have ongoing interests in kidney disease or associated scientific questions.
Research interests of our faculty include:
- Mechanisms of chronic glomerular and tubulointerstitial injury
- Acute kidney injury
- Cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions
- Renal development, epithelial cell biology
- Eicosanoid biology
- Epidemiology of acute and progressive kidney disease
- Development of clinical biomarkers
- Nutrition and metabolism
- Health services research and clinical trials
Resources and collaborators
State-of-the-art facilities and resources are available for researchers in the division and encompass a wide range of disciplines. The division currently has 15 funded laboratories, and all of the standard molecular and cell biological tools, equipment, computer imaging and support facilities are housed within the division. We currently occupy 21,000-square-feet of contiguous space, as well as and additional Nephrology research space in the ACRE Research Building at the Nashville Veterans Administration Medical Center.
All of these research buildings are within a five-minute walk, and are interconnected by tunnels and walkways. Located at the central MCN facilities are administrative offices and personnel supporting the research enterprise, including ordering, grant processing and other support activities, a Nephrology conference room and a room housing network connected computers and printers for the use of research and clinical fellows.
Clinical Trials
The Clinical Trials Center, established following the successful completion of the NIH-sponsored Modification of Diet and Renal Disease Study (MDRD), is currently conducting multi-center clinical trials in the areas of kidney disease, hypertension and diabetes.
Clinical research activities include:
- Preventing the progression of kidney disease, with special interest in hypertensive nephrosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy
- Improving dialytic therapies
- Reversing and shortening the course of acute renal failure
- Ameliorating the effects of chronic renal failure
- Examining new immunosuppressive agents for renal transplant recipients