The role of alternative splicing factor Srsf7 in diabetic kidney disease progression
Megan Noonan, PhD, WashU Division of Nephrology, received the American Society of Nephrology, ASN, KidneyCure Ben J. Lipps Fellowship. Dr. Noonan’s research aims to uncover novel mechanisms of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression via dysregulated alternative splicing. She will be investigating the role of the serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 (Srsf7) in the kidney using single-cell technology and long-read RNA-sequencing. Long-read sequencing can more accurately detect and quantify full-length gene isoforms to better resolve alternative splicing events. Dr. Noonan seeks to understand how loss of Srsf7 and the resulting changes in alternative splicing contribute to kidney disease progression. Understanding the mechanisms of splicing in the kidney could lead to new therapeutic targets to prevent development and progression of DKD.
The goal of the Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program is to fund fellows to conduct original, meritorious research projects. This program fosters, under the direction of a sponsor, the training of fellows who are highly motivated to make contributions to the understanding of kidney biology and disease. This Fellowship serves to establish the beginnings of an independent career and provides each nephrology fellow with $50,000 annually for up to two years.
I’m incredibly grateful and honored to receive this award, as it will provide support during a critical time in my training, allowing me to focus on the advancement of my research career as I obtain the necessary training and skills to be able to establish independence toward my own research program.”
Established in 2012, KidneyCure, the ASN Foundation, funds the Ben J. Lipps Research Fellowship Program, the Transition to Independence Grants Program, the William and Sandra Bennett Clinical Scholars Program, the American Society of Nephrology-Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program, and the ASN Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award Program.