Origins of Renal Physiology

An MDI Biological Laboratory National Course for Renal Fellows

Overview

As renal research focuses increasingly on specific regulatory processes, single molecules, or on clinical outcomes, renal fellows and junior faculty researchers in nephrology are losing touch with fundamental concepts of homeostasis and the classical experiments which form the foundation of renal physiology and nephrology. This course will reinvigorate trainees' understanding of these basic concepts through hands-on experiments in a research laboratory.

The course is organized around seven research modules that examine all aspects of kidney function.  Modules include: water homeostasis, salt homeostasis and secretion, collecting duct sodium balance, thick ascending limb and proximal tubule function, and acid/base homeostasis.  An additional module on genetics cuts across all research modules.  In each module, classical experiments using model systems (toad, zebrafish, shark, Xenopus oocyte) are combined with modern molecular techniques.

This course is supported by a research education grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1R25DK095727-01).

In this course, trainees will perform experiments involving both classical physiological models such as toad urinary bladders, aglomerular toadfish, and zebrafish larvae, as well as modern reductionist approaches, such as two electrode voltage clamp studies of epithelial sodium channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes and confocal microscopy to follow trafficking of transporter proteins in cultured cells, and molecular biology.

In addition to the curriculum itself, fellows will benefit from close interactions with senior investigators in renal physiology, who will guide them through the performance of the experiments, share meals with them in the dining room, and take the time to discuss their career goals with them. In addition, fellows will benefit enormously by working closely with other fellows from different programs, and sharing their insights into renal research. 

The course is organized around six laboratory modules and one enrichment module in genetics.

* Glomerular filtration rate

* Thick ascending limb cotransporters

* Salt balance and secretion

* Collecting duct sodium transport

* Proximal tubule function

* Water homeostasis

* Genetics

Participants will complete three of the six rotations over the six-day course.  The first day of each rotation involves intensive experimental work, and the second day involves analysis and presentation of the work to the entire conference group.

Module A – Acid / Base homeostasis

Stephen Gluck, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Dept. of Medicine, University of California - San Francisco

Module B – Salt homeostasis / Thick ascending limb

Biff Forbush, Ph.D., Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine; Investigator, MDI Biological Laboratory

Module C – Salt secretion

John N. Forrest, Jr., M.D., Professor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine

Module D – Ion channel structure and function

Ray Frizzell, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Investigator, MDI Biological Laboratory
Tom Kleyman, M.D., Chief, Renal-Electroyte Division, Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Module E – Proximal tubule

Orson Moe, M.D., Professor of Internal Medicine and Physiology; Director, Charles and Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research, UT Southwestern Medical Center

Module F – Water homeostasis

Dennis Brown, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate Chief for Research Affairs, Massachusetts General Hospital, Renal Division

Mark Zeidel, M.D., Herrman L. Blumgart Professor of Medicine and Chairman, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School

Module G - Glomerular Filtration and Proteinuria

Hermann Haller, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Hannover Medical School; Director, Integrated Clinical Research Center for Transplantation; Director, Department of Nephrology
Mario Schiffer, M.D., Heisenberg-Professor for Transplant Nephrology, Hannover Medical School 

Enrichment module - Genetics

Martin Pollak, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Course Directors

Mark L. Zeidel, M.D.
Herrman Ludwig Blumgart Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Chairman, Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John N. Forrest, Jr., M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine

Joseph V. Bonventre, M.D., Ph.D.
Samuel A Levine Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School
Chief, Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Director, HST Division of Biomedical Engineering at BWH

Housing: The course fee includes the cost of on-campus housing. Housing assignments and accommodation details will be sent to accepted students.

Detailed travel information, including airport and ground transportation suggestions, is available on the MDIBL Travel page.

This course is supported by a research education grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1R25DK095727-01).  Residents and Fellows' tuition is fully covered by grant funds.