www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/video/discovering-iups-unique-approach-to-regenerating-kidneys-with-the-help-from-a-fish/
I am interested in understanding kidney development and regeneration using zebrafish as a model system. Kidney disease is a major health problem worldwide due to increasing rates of diabetes and hypertension, and current treatments (such as dialysis and kidney transplant) are not meeting the demands of patients. As such, there is an urgent need for an alternative stem cell/regenerative therapy. To this end, I have previously identified progenitor cells capable of forming new kidney tissue during development and regeneration in zebrafish (Diep et al., Nature, 2011). Projects in my lab focus on how these progenitor cells are regulated, specifically understanding the molecular mechanism of the lhx1a transcription factor. Knowledge of this process may provide insight towards developing a regenerative therapy for treating kidney disease.