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For over 25 years, Dr. Tomoko Takano has been a leader in the Canadian nephrology research community. From her outstanding work as researcher, clinician, and mentor to her tireless efforts to support research collaboration and knowledge sharing, Dr. Takano has played a pivotal role in elevating the international profile of Canadian nephrology research.

In recognition of her work, The Kidney Foundation of Canada is pleased to present the 2025 Medal of Research Excellence to Dr. Tomoko Takano, nephrologist and senior scientist at McGill University Health Centre. The Medal of Research Excellence is awarded annually to a Canadian researcher recognized nationally or internationally for their career accomplishments in kidney research.

“Dr. Takano is an exceptional researcher, mentor and leader in the renal community. This Medal is a recognition of her lifetime body of research, which has had an enormous impact on our understanding of the molecular, genetic, and biological causes of kidney disease, providing an important foundation for future research therapies and treatments that will benefit people with kidney disease.” – Elizabeth Myles, National Executive Director, The Kidney Foundation of Canada.

(L-R) Elizabeth Myles, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation; Dr. Tomoko Takano, 2025 Recipient of the Medal for Research Excellence; Christine Marquis, Kidney Foundation Research Grants & Awards Manager; Julie Wysocki, Kidney Foundation Acting Director of Research.

Dr. Takano started her research program at McGill University in 1998, after training at both the University of Tokyo and Harvard University, seeking to explore the biological underpinnings of glomerular diseases. Since then, she developed a unique multidisciplinary research program that combines biology, genetics, and immunology to advance our understanding of the critical role podocytes play in health and disease.

Podocytes are specialized cells in the glomeruli of the kidneys. They play an important role in the kidney’s ability to act as a filter. Throughout her career, Dr. Takano and her team have uncovered many of the intricacies in podocyte structure and function, including many of the key molecules involved and how disruptions might lead to kidney disease.

As a fundamental researcher and clinician, her research program also developed a bench-to-bedside perspective which has allowed Dr. Takano to make huge strides in our understanding of nephrotic syndrome as well. Nephrotic syndrome is a condition where too much protein is leaked into the urine due to issues in kidney function or kidney damage. Dr. Takano’s research has been crucial in identifying genes and biological pathways that, when disrupted, may result in the condition. These discoveries lay a critical foundation to transform the diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with nephrotic syndrome in the near future.

“Dr. Takano has always been guided by a strong desire to help her patients and has worked passionately to uncover specific mechanisms of glomerular diseases with the hope that these could one day be translated to novel therapies for both children and adults.” – Dr. Rita Suri, Director of the Division of Nephrology, McGill University.

Her outstanding research program has centered Dr. Takano as a world-renowned expert in glomerular disease. It has also resulted in over 120 high-quality, highly cited, peer-reviewed journal articles, a level of productivity rarely seen by most researchers. Dr. Takano has also been invited across the country and around the world to give lecture, talks, and presentations about her work.

While peers and colleagues laud Dr. Takano’s creative thinking and outstanding research performance, they also describe her as a gifted mentor. She has supervised dozens of research trainees from the undergraduate to post-doctoral level. With her guidance, many of her trainees received prestigious fellowships, awards, and publications, setting them up for successful careers.

Dr. Takano’s demonstrations on excellence also reach far beyond the lab. She never hesitates to volunteer her time, skills, and expertise to peer review panels, scientific committees, and professional societies.

As a dedicated advocate for the role of discovery research in nephrology, she has been monumental in creating new opportunities for fundamental researchers in the nephrology community to connect. Through her work with the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN), in which Dr. Takano is currently President, as well as the Canadian Kidney Discovery Network (CKD-N), and the Molecules and Mechanisms Mediating Kidney Health and Disease (M3K) Scientific Meeting and Investigator Summit she has increased the number of opportunities for fundamental kidney scientists to collaborate and share knowledge, which has strengthened the entire Canadian nephrology research community.

In 2021, Dr. Takano also chaired the World Congress of Nephrology conference hosted in Montreal. Her efforts to bring this event to Canada demonstrate Dr. Takano’s drive to elevate the reputation of kidney research in Canada and foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the nation and around the world.