Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

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Kidney disease

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are investigating promising new approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases that affect the kidneys. Our work spans the full spectrum of research from basic science to clinical research to implementation. This page includes selected news stories about our kidney research, links to researchers working in this area and related resources. Learn more below or check out the Kidney Research Centre, which is affiliated with the University of Ottawa as well as The Ottawa Hospital.

Research News

	ELEVATE seed grants to help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital improve prevention and care for kidney disease March 3, 2025 - The grants, worth a total of $200,000, focus on areas such as autoimmune kidney disease, mini-kidney models, kidney replacement education, and artificial intelligence to improve drug dosing.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 16 CIHR grants worth more than $8 million February 3, 2025 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are leading 16 new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through the most recent operating grant competition.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Ann Bugeja aims to increase living kidney donations, improve high blood pressure care January 21, 2025 - “High blood pressure is easy to take for granted because it’s so common, but there’s a lot of complexity in care, how it’s managed, and how people access care.".
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	MicroRNA could protect the kidneys, according to animal study August 13, 2024 - “Our research shows microRNA holds promise for protecting against both acute kidney injury and its complications. We hope to test it soon in clinical trials."
	Social factors affect dialysis choice for kidney patients April 30, 2024 - Individuals with kidney failure who have less education, who are unemployed or retired, or who are living alone at home or in a long-term residence are more likely to start hemodialysis than peritoneal dialysis.
	Kidney donation: research shows benefits of new 1-day screening February 23, 2024 - If you were thinking of becoming a living kidney donor, would you rather do all your screening appointments in one day, or spread them out over six months?
	ELEVATE seed grants to help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital improve prevention and care for kidney disease February 21, 2024 - The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute is awarding five ELEVATE seed grants to kickstart innovative kidney research projects.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Deborah Zimmerman is committed to improving quality of life for patients on hemodialysis October 13, 2023 - Dr. Zimmerman wonders whether starting some patients on hemodialysis more gradually at two days a week while they still have some kidney function would give them a bit more time to enjoy their regular activities. There has been very little research i
	Meet Dr. Edward Clark, The Ottawa Hospital’s new Jindal Research Chair for the Prevention of Kidney Disease September 28, 2023 - As The Ottawa Hospital’s new Jindal Chair for Kidney Disease Prevention, Dr. Clark will be able to accelerate his research, which aims to help more critically ill patients survive acute kidney injury, and recover enough kidney function to avoid dialy
	New scientist profile: Dr. Ayub Akbari wants to predict when patients will need dialysis July 20, 2023 - Nephrologist Dr. Ayub Akbari does his best to prepare patients with advanced chronic kidney disease for the day when their kidneys fail and they need dialysis. Unfortunately, for many patients there’s no way to know when that will happen.
	Even a modest reduction in kidney function increases health risks in young adults June 23, 2023 - A study of more than 8 million adults in Ontario, Canada suggests that even a modest loss of kidney function is associated with increased health risks. The study, published in The BMJ, could lead to better approaches to prevent chronic kidney disease
	Will I be on dialysis forever? New calculator could help kidney disease patients June 9, 2023 - People who receive their first kidney dialysis treatment during a hospital admission often wonder if their kidneys will eventually recover, or if they will need to continue dialysis for the rest of their lives. A new calculator developed by Dr. Edwar
	ELEVATE seed grants to help researchers at The Ottawa Hospital develop better treatments and improve patient care February 1, 2023 - The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute is awarding five ELEVATE seed grants to early-career researchers to spur the development of innovative treatments and better patient care.
	A self-proclaimed nerd with a knack for nephrology January 26, 2023 - Dr. Kevin Burns never thought he’d be practicing award-winning kidney research in Ottawa. But after falling in love with Ottawa and with nephrology, Dr. Burns became an integral part of The Ottawa Hospital team.
	New online calculator predicts risk of developing kidney disease January 18, 2023 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital have developed and validated an online calculator that can estimate a person’s risk of developing chronic kidney disease. The method used to develop the tool was published in the Clinical Journal of the American Soc
	Visionary scientist shaped Canada’s kidney research landscape November 2, 2022 - As a young man raised in Montreal, Dr. Kevin Burns had no intention of staying in Ottawa when he first came here to study nephrology as a medical resident. However, he grew to love both the city and his colleagues at The Ottawa Hospital and has since
	New scientist profile: Dr. Nicola Schieda aims to improve imaging diagnosis of prostate, kidney cancers October 5, 2022 - Radiologist Dr. Nicola Schieda works on algorithms to improve the non-invasive diagnosis of kidney and prostate cancers using MRI and CT scans.
	Lab-grown “mini-kidneys” unlock secrets of a rare disease July 21, 2022 - Researchers have solved a medical mystery in a poorly understood disease by uncovering which cells cause tumours in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 19 CIHR grants worth more than $12 million July 20, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, autism, Kabuki Syndrome, kidney disease, patient engagement, blood transfusions, sepsis, surgery, anesthesia, plasma donation, muscle
	New scientist profile: Dr. David Massicotte-Azarniouch aims to improve care for rare kidney diseases May 20, 2022 - As a nephrologist specializing in glomerular diseases, Dr. David Massicotte-Azarniouch embraces the challenge of helping patients whose kidneys are being attacked by their own immune systems.
	New scientist profile: Dr. Edward Clark aims to improve kidney health for hospitalized patients March 17, 2022 - As a nephrologist who sees patients in the ICU, Dr. Edward (Ted) Clark knows kidneys can often stop working when someone is critically ill.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded 18 CIHR grants worth more than $11 million February 5, 2022 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as tuberculosis, blood disease, prostate cancer, heart disease, muscle repair, sleep apnea, brain cancer, medical imaging, virtual care, prehab, intellectual disability, sarcoma, CA
	Dr. Gregory Hundemer appointed as first Lorna Jocelyn Wood Chair for Kidney Research January 13, 2022 - Dr. Gregory Hundemer has been appointed as the first Lorna Jocelyn Wood Chair for Kidney Research at The Ottawa Hospital. This endowed chair was created thanks to generous donations from the late Ms. Wood and her family to The Ottawa Hospital Foundat
	New scientist profile: Dr. Mark Canney uses big data to answer burning questions in kidney disease December 9, 2021 - As a kidney specialist with a background in epidemiology and statistics, Dr. Mark Canney is interested in the questions that most trouble his colleagues.
	MicroRNA protects mice from acute kidney injury October 6, 2021 - New research led by Dr. Kevin Burns shows that intravenous delivery of a type of microRNA can protect mice from acute kidney injury, a serious and untreatable condition.
	Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital awarded eight grants worth $5 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research August 10, 2021 - These projects will advance science and improve health in areas such as cancer immunotherapy, orthopedic surgery, long-term care, neuromuscular disease, blood clots, vascular disease, aging, kidney disease and Inuit health.
	Hold the ice: study shows no benefit during kidney cancer surgery May 19, 2021 - A clinical trial shows that contrary to popular belief, renal hypothermia doesn’t actually improve kidney function after kidney cancer surgery.
	Studying sex differences in kidney disease could open door to developing new treatments January 27, 2021 - During critical illnesses like septic shock, the kidneys are often the first to shut down and the last to recover, if they recover at all. Previous research has shown that men are more severely affected by this kind of acute kidney injury than women,
	Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease— newfound hope for treatment September 12, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are working together to help prevent and treat acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease.
	Drug for high potassium linked with increase in serious gastrointestinal injury June 26, 2019 - A study led by Dr. Manish Sood found an increased rate of severe gastrointestinal injury among patients taking sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) to treat high potassium levels, a symptoms of chronic kidney disease.
	Feature grant: researchers investigate why women on hemodialysis are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease June 5, 2019 - Drs. Dylan Burger and Marcel Ruzicka were awarded $48,000 to find out why women on hemodialysis seem to be at greater risk of cardiovascular disease.
	Enzyme could help develop better approaches to prevent chronic kidney disease March 1, 2019 - An enzyme called Nox5 may help researchers develop new approaches to prevent chronic kidney disease in people with diabetes or high blood pressure, according to a study published in Antioxidants and Redox Signalling.
	Researchers to advance science and improve health with new CIHR funding February 14, 2019 - Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, are playing a lead role in nine new projects funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). These projects will advance science and improve health in areas su
	New scientist profile: Dr. Swapnil Hiremath harnesses science to bust medical myths January 29, 2019 - Dr. Swapnil Hiremath is inspired by his patients to uncover the truth behind medical dogma. For example, he played a lead role in busting the myth that contrast dye should never be used in medical imaging in people with serious kidney disease. He is
	How “exosomes” target injured kidney cells and bring them back to life December 20, 2018 - The kidneys are one of the most sensitive organs in the body. They are often the first to shut down during a critical illness like septic shock and the last to come back (if they come back at all). Dr. Kevin Burns and his team previously found that “
	Nerve cell structure plays a major role in kidney function July 24, 2018 - Dr. Chris Kennedy’s team has found that the nervous system controls how quickly the kidneys filter blood, and one protein is essential to this process. In the first study of its kind, the team found that a lack of the protein ubiquitin C-terminal hyd
	$1.7 million to advance research on colon cancer, brain development, kidney disease and severe fluid loss July 20, 2018 - Four research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $1.7 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Their projects will advance sci
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded $12.7M for research, double the national CIHR success rate January 30, 2018 - Sixteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded $12.7 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a success r
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded 18 research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, worth $10.7 million May 19, 2017 - Eighteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded nearly $11 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a suc
	Could tiny bits of kidney cells in the urine be a potential warning sign of kidney disease? February 2, 2017 - Dr. Dylan Burger and his team have discovered that people with type 1 diabetes have more kidney microparticles in their urine than those without diabetes. These tiny pieces of cells released into the body by injured or dying cells have the potentia
	Access to kidney transplants unequal across Ontario: study January 9, 2017 - A study published in the American Journal of Transplantation found that chronic dialysis patients in Ontario have unequal access to kidney transplants. These patients with kidney failure will be on dialysis their whole lives unless they receive a
	Ottawa researchers shine in SPOR funding announcement April 12, 2016 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital are playing a lead role in two of the five chronic disease networks recently funded by Canada's Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), managed by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research. Dr. Patric
	When drugs don’t work: research spares kidney transplant patients from unnecessary risks January 21, 2016 - Ottawa Resident Jim Ward, who received a kidney transplant from his brother in 2001, took part in an important eight-year study that showed a commonly prescribed drug doesn’t work nearly as well as previously thought and could potentially harm k

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Akbari, Ayub MD	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Kidney disease	Clinical research
Breau, Rodney MD	Senior Scientist (ACR)	Cancer, Kidney disease, Prostate cancer	Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Imaging, Patient decision aids, Patient engagement, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Systematic reviews, Transfusions
Bruni, Adrianna MSc MD CCFP-PC	Clinician Investigator (ICD)	Kidney disease, Liver disease	Palliative care
Burger, Dylan PhD	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Aging, Diabetes, Heart disease, Hypertension, Kidney disease, Maternal and fetal health, Obesity, Thrombosis / thromboembolism, Type 1 diabetes, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Basic research, Biomarkers, Disease models, Exercise, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Imaging, Model organisms, Molecular and cellular biology, Pharmacology, Proteomics, Regenerative medicine, Stem cells, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research
Burns, Kevin MD CM, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Diabetes, Kidney disease, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Basic research, Biomarkers, Cell therapy, Clinical research, Disease models, Extracellular vesicles / exosomes, Gene expression, Molecular and cellular biology, Regenerative medicine, Stem cells, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research
Clark, Edward MD MSc FRCPC	Associate Scientist (ACR)	Kidney disease, Septic shock	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Epidemiology
Fergusson, Dean PhD, MHA, FCAHS	Program Director and Senior Scientist (MIR)	Cancer, COVID-19, Kidney disease, Septic shock, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Clinical trials, Health services research, Health technology, Patient engagement, Pragmatic trials, Surveys, Translational research, Biostatistics, Clinical research, Cluster randomized trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Health research methods, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Systematic reviews, Transfusions
Hiremath, Swapnil MD, MPH, FASN	Associate Scientist (ICD)	Diabetes, Health in older peoples, Heart disease, Hypertension, Kidney disease, Population health, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health services research, Imaging, Pharmacology, Pragmatic trials, Public health, Quality Improvement, Systematic reviews
Hundemer, Gregory MD, MPH	Scientist (ICD)	Heart disease, Hypertension, Kidney disease, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Biomarkers, Clinical research, Cohort studies
Kennedy, Christopher PhD	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Diabetes, Hypertension, Kidney disease	Molecular and cellular biology
Klein, Ran PhD	Clinician Investigator (MIR)	Cancer, Heart disease, Kidney disease, Lung disease, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Artificial intelligence and data science, Basic research, Bioinformatics, Biomarkers, Biostatistics, Clinical decision rules, Health technology, Imaging
Knoll, Gregory MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Kidney disease	Clinical research, Transplantation
Lavallee, Luke MDCM, MSc, FRCSC	Scientist (ACR)	Cancer, Kidney disease, Population health, Prostate cancer	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health professional behaviour change, Imaging, Knowledge translation and implementation research, Patient decision aids, Quality Improvement, Surgery, Systematic reviews
Ramsay, Timothy PhD	Senior Scientist (MIR)	Addiction, Alzheimer's, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Anxiety, Ataxia, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Colorectal cancer, Concussion, Cystic fibrosis, Dementia, Depression, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, HIV, Immigrant and refugee health, Influenza, Kidney disease, Lung cancer, Macular degeneration, Men's health, Multiple sclerosis, Muscular dystrophy, Myasthenia gravis, Obesity, Ovarian cancer, Parkinson's, Pulmonary hypertension, Septic shock, Spinal cord injury	Artificial intelligence and data science, Behaviour, Biomaterials, Biostatistics, Cell therapy, Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Drug development, Emergency medicine, Epidemiology, Health professional behaviour change, Health promotion, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Palliative care, Patient decision aids, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Prevention, Psychology, Psychometrics, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Regenerative medicine, Rehabilitation, Risk assessment, Shared decision making, Surgery, Surveys, Systematic reviews, Transfusions, Translational research, Transplantation, Viral therapy
Sood, Manish MD, FRCPC, MSc	Senior Scientist (ICD)	Heart disease, Hypertension, Kidney disease, Population health, Thrombosis / thromboembolism	Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Pharmacology, Prevention
Zimmerman, Deborah MD	Scientist (ICD)	Frailty, Kidney disease	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Epidemiology, Quality Improvement, Systematic reviews

Related Resources

Kidney Research Centre, affiliated with The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa

Division of Nephrology at The Ottawa Hospital

Search for clinical trials at The Ottawa Hospital related to this disease or condition.