Research
Our faculty members are dedicated to conducting research studies and clinical trials to find better ways to treat patients with kidney disease.
Research interests are listed on faculty pages.
Our fellows have had a track record of success in the initiation and completion of research projects which have led to presentations at national meetings as well as publications.Our fellows are also offered the opportunity to obtain research experience in the division. We offer extensive research training in renal physiology, renal pathology, transplantation immunology, molecular biology and biochemistry, hypertension, and related disciplines.
Mannon Lab
From left, Halvor McGee, Dr.Seth Winfree, Kathleen Tinley and Dr. Roslyn Mannon
The lab of Dr. Roslyn Mannon is focused on translational studies of late kidney allograft outcomes. There are two main projects in the laboratory: understanding mechanisms of calcineurin inhibitor kidney injury (CNI nephrotoxicity) and studying the mechanisms of late kidney transplant rejection.
The research team uses mouse models to study these processes and is actively collaborating with other research groups on campus to discover new therapies. The lab recently identified a novel pathway of injury mediated by the CNIs cyclosporine and tacrolimus. In this work, these agents cause metabolic dysfunction in the proximal tubular epithelium of the kidney leading to a pro-fibrogenic mileu.
The Mannon Lab also serves as a sample biorepository for NIAID funded clinical trials in novel immunosuppressive agents in kidney transplants. These studies include cell based and novel biologic regimens. There is ongoing collaboration with Dr. Peter Mannon’s lab studying the changes in gut microbiome following transplantation leading to metabolic syndrome, an important contributor to cardiovascular complications which are common post-transplantation.
Dr. Roslyn Mannon's Publications
Dr. Seth Winfree
Halvor McGee, research manager
Research manager Halvor McGee works with Dr. Roslyn Mannon to design and execute experiments to study the signaling pathways of HMGB-1 using both in vitro (Human kidney cell lines) and in vivo (mouse models of CNI injury) studies. To measure our experimental outcomes, he uses several techniques such as, Western Blot (cellular protein), ELISA (protein secretion), RT-PCR (mRNA), Flow cytometry (cell surface markers), and histology (injury and fibrosis).