University of Virginia Health System

I am interested in both clinical nephrology and utilization of experimental models to understand the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis. Clinical activities include participation in multi-center prospective trails of agents of use in renal disorders including diabetes, diabetic sclerosis, and hypertension. Investigational interests in mechanisms of glomerulonephritis are focused on the role of cells in pathogenesis using both in vivo and in vitro models. Current work focuses on an experimental model of autoimmune glomerulonephritis in rats, which appears similar to Goodpasture's syndrome in humans. Work is concentrated on defining the antigen(s) responsible for induction of the disease in the rat model, further clarifying genetic and other influences involved in the production of the disease, with extrapolation of this information to humans. Future studies will be directed to developing peptides, which may be capable of blocking the initiation of progression of glomerulonephritis in Goodpasture's syndrome. The work involves use of animals, collection of urines, techniques of kidney biopsies in animals, tissue sectioning, biochemical determinations, and work with monoclonal antibodies, in vitro cell culture and a variety of immunologic assays. Research Support: NIH 1 RO1 Dk55801