Samer Mohandes, MD

2024 Joseph A. Carlucci Research Fellowship

Institution: University of Pennsylvania

Project Title: Alternative Splicing in Chronic Kidney Disease

How would you sum up your overall research focus in one sentence?

My research focuses on determining the rule of gene expression in kidney disease.

Provide a brief overview of the research you will conduct with help from the grant.

Splicing allows the expression of different RNA molecules from the same gene. Which RNA molecules are expressed can impact disease development and progress. My project will assess splicing events in the kidney and its role in chronic kidney disease.

What inspired you to focus your research in this area?

During my clinical fellowship, I encountered many patients with chronic kidney disease on an inevitable path to end stage kidney disease. Current treatment options are limited and untargeted. Further understanding of the underlying mechanisms is needed to develop impactful treatment options. Splicing is a mechanism that hasn't been adequately explored in kidney disease although its role has been highlighted in other diseases such as cancer.

What impact do you hope your research will have on patients?

I hope this study will provide further understanding of the mechanisms of chronic kidney disease and have potential therapeutic options in the future.

What are your career goals at the end of the grant period? Five years out? Ten years out?

By the end of the grant period, I hope to have completed the project and my post graduate training. I then plan to purse an academic faculty position.

What are the major challenges to beginning a career in nephrology research today?

Finding the time for both clinical and research activities.

In one sentence, please describe the importance of having grant funding available through KidneyCure.

This grant allows me to continue post graduate training to develop the necessary skills to continue a research career.

What advice would you give to others to encourage them to apply for this grant funding?

Never give up, you sometime need to try more than once to achieve your goals.

In my free time I like to…

Read and travel.