The Barua lab has garnered international profile on the basis of their unique genetic observations and ongoing efforts to establish biologic mechanism linking gene mutations to chronic kidney disease. The Barua lab’s goal is to improve diagnosis and by defining the genetic basis of clinical syndromes previously labelled as idiopathic, to have important impact on therapeutic development.
Dr. Moumita Barua is a Senior Scientist at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute. She is Associate Director of the Hereditary Kidney Disease Clinic, where individuals with genetic conditions affecting the kidney are seen.
A major contribution of the Barua Lab has been the identification of variants in the α3, α4 and α5 chains of type IV collagen in hematuria, albuminuria and a pathologic lesion known as focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The Barua lab has also identified PAX2 mutations in FSGS. These findings form the basis of mechanistic work that the group is now pursuing alongside their human genetic studies.