Kidney Research Institute
Developing early detection, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease and its complications.
In 2003, a task force consisting of leadership from UW Medicine, the Northwest Kidney Centers, and the community pioneered the concept of a research institute dedicated solely to kidney disease. The Kidney Research Institute (KRI) opened its doors in 2008, proud to build on 50 years of kidney research history in Seattle. The institute recruited Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb as its founding director, and in 2022, appointed Dr. Ian de Boer to the position.
Professor
Director of Research, UW Nephrology
Director, Kidney Research Institute
The KRI has catalyzed kidney-disease-related research at UW, across the 11 divisions within the Department of Medicine, across departments within the School of Medicine, and various schools at the University of Washington. Since its inception, the KRI investigators have procured over $200 million in extramural research funding (primarily federal), enrolled over 8000 patients with kidney diseases in research studies, and generated over 1500 original research publications.
The KRI is a hub for the NIDDK-sponsored Kidney Precision Medicine Project. The KRI has led the work on “kidney-on-a-chip” as a part of the larger nationwide initiative of “organs-on-a-chip” to accelerate the pace of the discovery of therapeutics.
The Kidney Research Institute predominantly conducts clinical/translational kidney research. Early detection, prevention, and treatment of kidney disease and its complications are the central focus. The Kidney Research Institute closely collaborates with our investigators at the Veteran’s Affairs Health Services Research & Development.
There are over 40 investigator-initiated studies ongoing within the KRI that include several clinical trials to advance blood pressure and symptom management and treat secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients undergoing long-term dialysis, depression management in patients with advanced kidney disease, innovative treatments for various glomerular diseases; cohort studies to examine glycemia in patients undergoing long-term dialysis and optimal use of biomarkers for kidney disease in heart failure; translational studies to study tubular function in kidney diseases and autophagy in diabetic kidney disease; and qualitative studies to operationalize non-dialytic management of kidney failure and increase patient-centeredness of transplant evaluation for older adults.
The KRI has led the nation in patient engagement to set the research agenda for nephrology research with the establishment of the Patient Advisory Committee in 2016. Today, many of the research studies are guided by patient partners that serve to enhance the meaningfulness of research undertaken by the KRI investigators.
Learn about KRI Research Studies
Laboratory Research
Divisional faculty continue to advance the understanding of the pathophysiology of kidney diseases with laboratory-based research that is broadly based on studying the role of podocytes in glomerular disease and the process of aging in the kidney (Shankland Lab) and using tissue organoids (Freedman Lab).
Both UW Drs. Shankland and Freedman are part of the NIH-funded (Re)Building the Kidney consortium to leverage tissue regeneration as a treatment for kidney diseases. Organoids are an innovative approach to understanding disease pathophysiology, and the current focus at UW is to advance the understanding of polycystic kidney disease and cystinosis, among others.
Learn about the basic science research labs of Drs. Stuart Shankland and Beno Freedman.
Transplantation Research
We are a robust research program that offers transplant recipients state-of-the-art treatments by participating in many ongoing multicenter clinical trials.
Further, the Center for Innovations in Cancer and Transplant (CICT) has been established to integrate healthcare and research to transform the lives of people with cancer and organ transplants.
UW Nephrology Areas of Research
- Acute Kidney Injury
- Biomarker Discovery/Validation
- Cancer before and after organ transplant
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Developmental Biology/Stem Cells
- Diabetic Kidney Disease
- Dialysis/End Stage Renal Disease/Access
- Genetics
- Geriatrics
- Glomerular Disease
- Hypertension
- Metabolic Complications and Mineral Metabolism
- Novel Dialysis Devices
- Pharmacology
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
- Racial Disparities
- Toxicology
- Transplant