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Dr. Mark Okusa, is the John C. Buchanan Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Chief,Division of Nephrology and Director, Center for Immunity, Inflammation and Regenerative Medicine, University of Virginia.
EDUCATION
Dr. Okusa is chairman of the Acute Kidney Injury Advisory Committee to the American Society of Nephrology and member, Acute Kidney Injury Network, AKI committee of the International Society of Nephrology and member of the Grant Review Committee of the American Society of Nephrology. He also is a member of advisory or editorial boards of several journals.
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RESEARCH FOCUS
Recent investigation suggests that immune cells participate in early and late events following ischemia-reperfusion that initiate injury or repair of the kidney. His team of investigators attempts to dissect basic immunological mechanisms that participate in the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury and to identify novel approraches to therapeutic interventions. Ongoing studies include the role of natural killer T cells, T regulatory cells, dendritic cells and monocyte/macrophages in kidney injury. Compounds that target adenosine 2A receptors and lysosphingolipid receptors are used in acute kidney injury models. In other studies these compounds are used to prevent inflammation and progression of chronic kidney disease.