Congratulations to three WashU Nephrology postdoctoral scholars for being awarded the highly competitive American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Cure Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program grants.
The Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program grants are designed to support postdoctoral fellows in conducting original, high-quality research that will help establish the beginnings of an independent career. Under the mentorship of a sponsor, fellows receive funding to pursue innovative research that will contribute significantly to the understanding of kidney biology and disease. The program provides each nephrology fellow with $50,000 annually for up to two years.
Chenjian Gu, PhD, a member of the Maggie Chen Lab, received the 2024 Ben J. Lipps Research Fellow award for his study: Novel regulation of autophagic flux for the treatment of uromodulin-associated nephropathy.
Dr. Gu’s research focuses on investigating the molecular pathogenesis underlying organelle dysfunction-mediated kidney diseases, especially autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD), and discovering novel treatments.
“This fellowship is instrumental in reaching my career goals through both research training and professional development.”
Megan Noonan, PhD, a member of the Benjamin Humphreys Lab, received the Ben J. Lipps Research Fellow award for her study: The role of alternative splicing factor Srsf7 in diabetic kidney disease progression.
Dr. Noonan’s research focuses on understanding how alternative splicing drives kidney disease.
“I really hope to discover new therapeutic targets that slow or prevent kidney disease and can improve patients’ quality of life.”
Poornima D. E. Weerasinghe-Mudiyanselage, PhD, a member of the Andreas Herrlich Lab, received the Donald E. Wesson Research Fellow award for her study: Chronic neuroinflammation, neuropathology and neurocognitive dysfunction after acute kidney injury.
Dr. Weerasinghe-Mudiyanselage’s research focuses on investigating the neurological consequences of acute kidney injury and the molecular mechanisms that drives kidney-brain crosstalk.
“I have the opportunity to broaden the scope of my research while focusing on developing foundational research under the guidance of an incredible mentor.”
Drs. Gu, Noonan and Weerasinghe-Mudiyanselage are three of eight fellows chosen for the 2024 awards.
The KidneyCure Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program encompasses the following grants: Ben J. Lipps Research Fellows, Donald E. Wesson Research Fellow, Jared J. Grantham Research Fellowship, Joseph A. Carlucci Research Fellow, KidneyCure Research Fellow, and Sharon Anderson Research Fellow. Please follow the link for more details about the program.
Follow @megan_noonan and @ASNKidney on X.
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