Name: Fatimah Khalaf

Institution: University of Toledo

Grant: ASN Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award (2018)

Project Title: Paraoxonase-1 regulation of renal inflammation in Chronic Kidney Disease
 

How would you sum up your research in one sentence?

• We are studying a novel counter-regulatory mechanism of sodium regulating hormones with the aim of decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress in patients with chronic kidney disease.

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

• Our aim is to develop a new preventative strategy to help individuals with chronic kidney disease through enhancing endogenous counter-regulatory mechanisms that will help decrease renal inflammation and ameliorate the pathogenetic pathways induced by endogenous cardiotonic steroids.

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

• Treatment options for patients with chronic kidney disease are extremely limited. Because inflammation and oxidative stress are so central to many of the pathologic features of CKD, our goal is to deepen our understanding of the body’s own regulatory mechanisms of these processes and thereby open up new therapeutic strategies for CKD patients.

What are your short- and long-term career goals?

• My near-term goal is to earn my Ph.D. degree, after which I plan to complete my medical residency. In the future, I hope that as a physician-scientist I can be a leader in the field of Nephrology and effectively contribute to improving the quality of patient care for patients with renal disease.

What inspired you to focus your research on the kidney?

• The kidney has always fascinated me. The fact that meaningful therapies for patients with CKD lag so far behind therapies for so many other diseases made it a natural area where I thought I could place my efforts and help make advances that matter.

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

• Beginning a career in kidney research seems particularly daunting in the current research funding climate. That is why I was so encouraged when the ASN announced this funding mechanism and why I was especially ecstatic to review this award.

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

• This is an exceptional opportunity and we need to develop more leaders in this field who are excited to make a positive difference in the lives of patients suffering from renal disease. But you can’t obtain this grant if you never apply, so apply and never discount yourself.

Something you may not know about me is…

• I make the world’s best flan cake.