See how NKF researchers are making strides in the fight against kidney disease.
![Kevin Erickson, MD, MS](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/Erickson_Kevin Headshot_174w Cropped.jpg)
Kevin Erickson, MD, MS
Kevin Erickson, MD, MS is researching whether nephrology care before ESRD develops can help patients keep their jobs
![Connie M. Rhee, MD](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/Rhee_Connie Headshot no White Coat_174w Cropped.jpg)
Connie M. Rhee, MD, MSc
Connie M. Rhee, MD, MSc examines whether thyroid hormone replacement improves new dialysis patients’ quality of life.
![John Richard Lee, MD](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/Lee_John Headshot_174w.jpg)
John Richard Lee, MD
John Richard Lee, MD lead the development of new tests to decrease peritonitis in home peritoneal dialysis.
![Meghan Pearl, MD](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/Pearl_Meghan Headshot White Coat_174w cropped.jpg)
Meghan Pearl, MD
Meghan Pearl, MD, is studying AT1R-Ab antibodies in pediatric kidney transplantation.
![Dr. Avi Rosenberg Dr. Avi Rosenberg](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/Avi-Rosenberg.jpg)
Dr. Avi Rosenberg
Dr. Rosenberg is studying APOL1-Related Nephropathies including testing and novel therapies.
![Elaine Ku, MD Elaine Ku, MD](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/Ku_Elaine%20Headshot.jpg)
Elaine Ku, MD
Dr. Ku is studying the weight trajectory in adults versus children on dialysis, including examining the association between weight change before dialysis and risk of death after dialysis in adults.
![Hanni Menn-Josephy, MD Hanni Menn-Josephy, MD](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/Menn-Josephy_Hanni-Headshot.jpg?)
Hanni Menn-Josephy, MD
Dr. Menn-Josephy is conducting basic and translational research in the area of lupus and autoimmune kidney disease, focusing on the effect of Interferon Regulatory Factor 5 (IRF5) in the signaling pathway of toll-like receptors in mice models and in patients with lupus disease
![Divya Moodalbail, MD Divya Moodalbail, MD](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/Divya%20Moodalbail%2C%20MDGRANTS.png)
Divya Moodalbail, MD
Dr. Moodalbail is studying the genetic risk for kidney disease in comparison to the number of laboratory markers of the disease in children and young adults with Sickle Cell Disease.
![Oleg Palygin, PhD Oleg Palygin, PhD](/sites/default/files/Oleg-Palygin.jpg)
Oleg Palygin, PhD
Oleg Palygin is studying how oxidative stress contributes to the progression of hypertension and kidney damage.
![Katherine Lynch, MD Katherine Lynch, MD](/sites/default/files/Katherine-Lynch.jpg)
Katherine Lynch, MD
Dr. Lynch is studying the effects of smell and taste loss in order to identify ways to combat malnutrition in patients with kidney disease.
![Ilse Daehn, PhD Ilse Daehn, PhD](/sites/default/files/Ilse_0.jpg)
Ilse Daehn, PhD
Ilse is researching what happens to cells within the kidneys when they are injured, and how to prevent the injured cells from causing further damage.
![Ciaran McMullan, MD Ciaran McMullan, MD](/sites/default/files/Ciaran_2.jpg)
Ciaran McMullan, MD
Dr. McMullan is studying how sleep impacts the kidneys and whether more sleep and melatonin supplementation can improve kidney function.
![Dr. Maria Hadjifrangiskou Dr. Maria Hadjifrangiskou](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/Placeholder_Web.jpg)
Dr. Maria Hadjifrangiskou
Dr. Maria Hadjifrangiskou is Researching New Solutions to Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections
![Dr. Jenny Shen Dr. Jenny Shen](https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/Placeholder_Web.jpg)
Dr. Jenny Shen
Dr. Jenny Shen is Exploring the Patterns of Adherence to Medications Used to Treat Cardiovascular Conditions in ESRD Patients.
![Sagar Nigwekar, MD, MMSc Sagar Nigwekar, MD, MMSc](/sites/default/files/SagarNigwekar.jpg)
Sagar Nigwekar, MD, MMSc
Dr. Sagar Nigwekar is on the front lines of calciphylaxis
![Benjamin Freedman, PhD Benjamin Freedman, PhD](/sites/default/files/BenjaminFreedman-PhD.jpg)
Benjamin Freedman, PhD
Dr. Benjamin Freedman is working to take PKD out of the patient
![Jeff Zhang Jeff Zhang](/sites/default/files/Jeff-L-Zhang.jpg)
Jeff Zhang
Jeff Zhang Finding a New Way to Detect Kidney Damage
![Dr. Alex Chang Dr. Alex Chang](/sites/default/files/images/changportrait_320bx.jpg)
Dr. Alex Chang
Dr. Alex Chang Studies the Effects of Phosphorous on Early-Stage CKD
![Dr. Marta Christov Dr. Marta Christov](/sites/default/files/images/christov_320alt43.jpg)
Dr. Marta Christov
Dr. Christov’s NKF-funded research initiative to discover alternative ways to remove phosphorus from the body.
![Dr. Sahir Kalim Dr. Sahir Kalim](/sites/default/files/images/sahirkalim_320.jpg)
Dr. Sahir Kalim
Dr. Sahir Kalim Studies Therapies to Better Replicate Natural Kidney Function
![Dr. Martina McGrath Dr. Martina McGrath](/sites/default/files/images/s-mcgrath_150.jpg)
Dr. Martina McGrath
Dr. Martina McGrath, researches therapies that may help prevent organ transplant rejection.
![Dr. Tengis Pavlov Dr. Tengis Pavlov](/sites/default/files/images/tengis.png)
Dr. Tengis Pavlov
Dr. Tengis Pavlov Researches Polycystic Kidney Disease
![Dr. Weiben Zhou Dr. Weiben Zhou](/sites/default/files/images/dr.weibin-zhou_320alt.jpg)
Dr. Weiben Zhou
Dr. Weiben Zhou Studies the Human Genome for Clues about Kidney Disease
The National Kidney Foundation gratefully acknowledges that the NKF Young Investigator Grant Program is made possible by support from (or in honor of) the following organizations and individuals:
American Society of Nephrology
Amgen
Bristol Myers Squibb
Victor Chaltiel Foundation
Fresenius Medical Care
GSK
Gambro
Shaul G. Massry, MD
Pfizer Laboratories
Solomon Papper, MD
Patricia Welder Robinson
Donald Seldin, MD
George Schreiner, MD
Robert Schrier, MD
Hilda Gershon Sugarman
Diana Goldberg