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Rady Children's Specialists

Research and Clinical Trials

The Division conducts basic, clinical and translational research to better understand the causes of kidney disease and to develop more effective therapies.

Current research activities of our team members are listed below:

Robert Mak, M.D., Ph.D.

The laboratory of Dr. Mak is focused on the neuroendocrinology of cachexia and osteodystrophy of chronic kidney diseases, as well as biomarker discovery for non-invasive novel diagnostic tests for vesicoureteral reflux.

Nadine M. Benador, M.D.

Dr. Benador participated in the development of the protocol for the national Chronic Kidney Disease in Children Study and was the local investigator for two multicenter trials of IV iron in pediatric hemodialysis patients. She is the central principal investigator for ongoing clinical studies.

Caitlin Carter, M.D.

Dr. Carter is active in clinical research. She is conducting outcome studies in transitioning pediatric patients to adult care.

Elizabeth Ingulli, M.D.

The laboratory of Dr. Ingulli studies T cell motility in the context of acute renal transplant rejection.

Lieuko Nguyen, M.D.

Dr. Nguyen is active in clinical research. She is working on a cell phone based program to monitor compliance in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Noureddin Nourbakhsh, D.O. 

Dr. Nourbakhsh is active in clinical and translational research into acute kidney injury.

Elliot Perens, M.D., Ph.D. 

Dr. Perens is interested and active in basic research in developmental nephrology. He obtained fellowship research support from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) fellowship for 2012-2013 and a grant from the A.P. Giannini Foundation in 2015.

Peter Yorgin, M.D.

Dr. Yorgin is active in clinical research.  He is conducting outcomes studies in pediatric dialysis and lupus nephritis.  He is a recognized expert on anemia in chronic kidney disease and is frequently an invited speaker in national meetings.

For more information on our research, visit the UC San Diego Department of Pediatrics website.