In our Pediatric Nephrology Research Lab, we focus on preventing kidney disease by modulating environmental effects on in-utero kidney development and optimizing peri- and postnatal care. This innovative approach aims to create novel strategies to combat the global burden of chronic kidney disease.
Dr. Oded Volovelsky's broad clinical experience in treating various pediatric kidney disorders informs our research direction, enabling us to ask relevant questions and seek practical solutions.
Our work has revealed how maternal malnutrition impacts nephron progenitor cells, leading to reduced nephron numbers in offspring. Through cutting-edge transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, we have identified key pathways affected by nutritional stress, including cell cycle regulators, mTORC1 signaling, and methionine metabolism.
We have demonstrated that interventions such as methionine supplementation or genetic modulation of mTORC1 activity can mitigate the detrimental effects of caloric restriction on kidney development. Our current projects explore the consequences of different diets of pregnant women and preterm birth on nephrogenesis, aiming to develop interventions that promote optimal kidney formation in challenging prenatal and early postnatal environments.
