The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $4.6 million over the next five years to the Medical College of Wisconsin to establish a Research Center of Excellence in Pediatric Nephrology at Childrens Research Institute. As one of only two such Centers in the country, it will build on current groundbreaking research programs at the College and Childrens Research Institute, expediting new and exciting treatments for thousands of children with genetic, acquired or progressive kidney disease.

This new Center of Excellence designation will enhance our ability to implement our translational research program, where research and clinical care are fully integrated, said Ellis D. Avner, M.D., principal investigator of the program and director of Childrens Research Institute. Dr. Avner is a professor of pediatrics, and associate dean for research at the Medical College.

In coordination with the mission of Childrens Research Institute, this designation and funding will lead to significant improvements in the health care of children, providing us with the resources to understand and effectively treat progressive kidney diseases in children. It also will permit us to attract and mentor a new group of physicians and scientists who will study childhood kidney diseases. -

Dr. Avner also sees patients at the Polycystic Kidney Disease Clinic at Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin.

The basic molecular and cellular mechanisms of the majority of pediatric disorders are still poorly understood. Since renal disease also is a progressive childhood disease, it is often a harbinger of cardiovascular disease in adults. The grant will focus on three major areas: polycystic kidney disease, which is a genetic disorder characterized by the growth of numerous fluid filled cysts in the kidneys; hypertension and diabetes-induced disease; and occurring injuries when the kidney lacks oxyg
'"/>

Contact: Toranj Marphetia
toranj@mcw.edu
414-456-4700
Medical College of Wisconsin
13-Aug-2007