News and Announcements
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10.28.2025Northwestern University and NU-USC O'Brien Center researchers will showcase their latest advances in kidney science at ASN Kidney Week 2025. Faculty and trainees will present oral abstracts, posters, and moderated sessions highlighting innovations in kidney repair, molecular mechanisms, and therapeutic development.
08.20.2025The 2025 SciHigh Program at Northwestern’s O’Brien Kidney Resource Center hosted six high school students for its annual biomedical research summer program. Students worked in labs at the Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute(FCVRRI), joined workshops and campus tours, and presented projects at a final showcase. Highlights included a nanotechnology demo and an alumni panel on college prep. Most participants will continue volunteering in their labs, reflecting the program’s strong impact.
Learn more about our 2025 participants, program and highlights.
08.20.2025NUGoKidney Executive Member and patient advocate Arnold Davis was recently interviewed by the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) in Kidney News. In the feature, Davis reflects on his personal journey with ADPKD and highlights the importance of elevating patient voices in research, policy, and clinical care. His story underscores how lived experience can inspire meaningful change and strengthen the nephrology community.
11.01.2024O'Brien Center Director and DOM Chair Susan Quaggin, MD, was honored with the John P. Peters Award at this year's American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week. This distinguished award celebrates individuals who have made significant research contributions to nephrology and demonstrated sustained excellence in various areas of academic medicine, including clinical care.
09.11.2024The OKRA Opportunity Pool Program offers up to $50,000 in one-year funding for early-stage or new kidney researchers using OKRA NRC resources. Excludes clinical trials; applicants must contact NRC leadership before applying.
For details, click here.
07.30.2024This summer, Northwestern University's George M. O’Brien Kidney Resource Center welcomed 12 students for an immersive STEMM experience. Through diverse lab placements, clinical volunteering, and enrichment workshops, students engaged in hands-on learning and research. The program concluded with a showcase of their achievements.
10.21.2023Sophia Serrano, a Mexican/Puerto Rican American scholar from Chicago's West side, dedicated her summer to diligent work at the Thompson Lab within Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. As a returning SciHigh Scholar at Northwestern University's GoKIDNEY Center, she passionately delved into medical science. Sophia's determination and inquisitiveness guided her in exploring endomucin research, revealing how curiosity and dedication can unveil new horizons in STEM.
Hear her firsthand experience shared through her perspective.
- Northwestern University Awarded Nearly $5 Million NIH Grant to Revolutionize Kidney Research09.21.2023Northwestern has successfully secured a substantial grant of nearly $ 5 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a cutting-edge center dedicated to kidney research. This funding will enable the department to create a center that will leverage innovations from the physical sciences to tackle pressing challenges in kidney research.
Tamara Isakova, MD Appointed as Interim Chief of Nephrology and Hypertension09.01.2023Join us in congratulating Dr. Tamara Isakova, MD, who has been appointed Interim Chief of Nephrology and Hypertension in the Department of Medicine. Her leadership extends beyond Northwestern, as she chairs the Theme Chair for the 2024 World Congress of Nephrology Program Committee and serves on various steering committees. With editorial roles in top nephrology journals, Dr. Isakova continues to make significant contributions to the medical community.Join us in welcoming Dr. Isakova to her new position!
07.27.2023At the September meetings of the American Heart Association (AHA) Hypertension Council, Dr. Daniel Batlle will deliver the 2023 Donald Seldin Lecture, an esteemed award presented by the Kidney and Cardiovascular Councils.
Learn more about this Hypertension Scientific Sessions award.
05.02.2023Susan Quaggin, MD, Director of NUGoKidney and FCVRRI was one of eight Northwestern University Faculty members recently elected to the American Academy of Arts & Science, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
Join us in congratulation her and the nearly 270 members elected in 2023 from academia, the arts, industry, policy, research, and science.
Learn more about this honor in the Northwestern Now article here.
- Take the Challenge04.17.2023
850 million people worldwide have kidney disease, but few know its dangers. Take the #850Challenge and raise awareness by walking 8.5K steps, cycling 85 miles, or completing 8.5 minutes of high-intensity training. Share your progress w/ us on Twitter and Instagram by using the hashtag (#850Challenge) and tagging us @NU_Nephrology.
02.15.2023As we reflect on the year and plan for the new year, NUGoKidney would like to express gratitude for your continued support and dedication to kidney health. We can't wait for you to see what we have in store for this year!To celebrate another incredible year, we are excited to share some of the exciting moments and achievements from this past year!
02.06.2023Northwestern nephrology recently welcomed two new faculty members. Join us in welcoming Pierre R. Blemur, Jr., MD and Amishi Desai, DO, to the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension.
02.02.2023Targeting VEGFR-3 in kidney lymphatics has been proposed as a method to treat kidney disease. However, expression of VEGFR-3 is not lymphatic-specific. Assistant Professor of Medicine (Nephrology and Hypertension) at Northwestern, Michael D Donnan, MD and team provide valuable information for therapeutic development targeting these pathways in recent AJP Renal publication.
02.02.2023While nephrology has reached many milestones in the past few decades,Susan Quaggin, MD, FASN, NUGoKidney Director and former POTASN, encouraged nephrologists to turn this moment into a movement. With 8 breakthroughs and 9 FDA approval in 2022, now is better time than any to join the revolution to end kidney disease by challenging lawmakers, policymakers and policies that threaten patients and the care nephrologists provide.
02.01.2023John Rogers, SM, PhD, executive director of Northwestern University's Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, and Lorenzo Gallon, MD, medical director of the Translational Medicine program are working to treat kidney patients as early as possible and avoid the need for a biopsy by developing wearable technology to detect the earliest signs of kidney transplant rejection.Together they have developed an implantable, wireless sensor that attaches to the kidney and measures blood flow and temperature and through testing, have found that temperature—but not blood flow—provides an early warning about rejection.
01.31.2023NUGoKidney Director and former POTASN, Susan Quaggin, MD, FASN interviewed with thirty television and radio stations to help raise awareness of the thirty-seven million American's living with kidney disease. Focusing on kidney health, early intervention and prevention, Dr. Quaggin encourages everyone to get informed and emphasizes the importance of knowing whether you are at risk.
01.06.2022In 2021, we continued to support groundbreaking research and discoveries in kidney health through our core services and Pilot & Feasibility program. We continued to develop existing partnerships with the Northwestern Racial Equity and Community Partnership Grant and expanded programming with new collaborations with Chicago KUH Forward and Color of Medicine. We also welcomed our third cohort of SciHigh Summer Scholars and so much more!