We have the largest hospital-based research program at UHN and one of the most comprehensive nephrology programs in Canada.
Our division consists of many diverse subspecialties including home and hemodialysis, kidney/kidney-pancreas transplantation, glomerular disease, hereditary kidney disease, geriatric and palliative renal medicine, kidney, and onco-nephrology.
Our Laboratories
Across the division there are clinics covering a number of specialized areas including hypertension, diabetic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis, hereditary kidney disease and many more. In addition, our faculty participates in a full range of academic activities including basic science, translational and clinical research, and teaching. Our division is considered to be one of the leading institutions for training Nephrologists for both academic careers and clinical practice in North America. With this breadth of expertise, we are proud to be able to provide outstanding clinical care, conduct ground breaking research, and offer numerous training opportunities in nephrology.
Laboratories & Clinics
Toronto Glomerulonephritis Registry
To do this, we will build upon an established research program to develop a collaborative national patient-centered program. We will expand a successful clinical database structure so it is available to the Canadian research community. We will study strategies for GN treatment that are tailored to a patient’s individual needs. We will look for specific genes and proteins that can help predict disease progression and whether an individual will benefit from innovative treatments. Once the infrastructure is ready and the protocol approved, we will begin recruitment of 350 patients with GN. Patients enrolled in our study will be seen every six months for blood tests and updates regarding their health and well-being.
Transplant Program Research
Dr. Joseph Kim, is a nephrologist and co-chair of Health Canada’s Organ Donation and Transplantation Collaborative Data System Working Group. He believes the goal in transplant is to essentially give back the lost life years of a person with organ failure, with a transplant. His team's work focuses on technologic and treatment advances which are helping to improve the longevity of these organs and to mitigate the various factors that potentially shorten the lifespan of the organ.
UHN Onco-Nephrology Program
Our onco-nephrology research program has two aims: 1) to prevent and manage kidney complications in patients with cancer (including both cancer-induced and cancer therapy-related causes of kidney injury); and 2) to improve cancer care in patients with chronic kidney disease. In order to address these aims, Dr. Abhijat Kitchlu's clinical research has involved using a combination of ‘big data’ (i.e. population-level healthcare administrative data) in conjunction with highly granular local registry datasets.