2024 Research Awards Recipients

The Kidney Foundation of Canada is committed to achieving excellent kidney health, optimal quality of life, and a cure for kidney disease.  Founded in 1964 with the overarching goal of raising funds for research, The Kidney Foundation of Canada has since invested over $138 million dollars in research grants, awards and partnerships. We continue to value research as a lead generator of hope for those with kidney disease and their community.

Through targeted, peer-reviewed competitions, The Kidney Foundation of Canada supports Canadian researchers in their innovative, transformational, and novel ideas with the focus of improving the quality of life for our patients and community. Each year, our research community continues to make strides towards our goals and provide hope for a future without kidney disease.

The Kidney Foundation of Canada would like to congratulate our 2024 grant awardees listed below.

For more information on specific projects or to search for a specific topic or area, please visit our Supported Research page.
 

Kidney Health Research Grant

Andrew Advani

Co-Applicant(s):  Darren Yuen
St Michael's Hospital, ON 
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title:  Repurposing istradefylline for kidney fibrosis
Category: Chronic Kidney Disease, Kidney Biology, Renal Failure

R. Todd Alexander

Co-Applicant(s):
Governors of the University of Alberta, AB
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title: Exploiting genetic models of the proximal tubule tight junction to dissect the role of hyperphosphatemia in cardiovascular disease
Category:  Chronic Kidney Disease

Moumita Barua, Sarah Gagliano

Co-Applicant(s):  Andrew D Paterson
University Health Network, ON
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title: Does genetic analysis of combined kidney measures in the population prioritize and identify novel signals?
Category:  Genetics, Kidney Biology, Predictive Biomarkers

William Beaubien-Souligny

Co-Applicant(s):  Annie-Claire Nadeau-Fredette, Dr Frederic Baroz, Neila Mezghani, Rita Suri, Ron Wald, Thomas Mavrakanas
Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, QC
2024 - 2027:  $179,250
Project Title: Subphenotypes of hemodynamic parameters and symptoms in prevalent in-center HD patients
Category:  Dialysis
In partnership with Can-SOLVE

Kevin Burns, Suresh Gadde

Co-Applicant(s): Dylan Burger
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, ON
2024 - 2026:  $95,000
Project Title: Bioengineered Nanoparticles to Prevent Acute Kidney Injury
Category:  Acute Kidney Injury, Kidney Biology, Renal Failure

Alexandra Cambier

Co-Applicant(s):
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, QC
2024 - 2027:  $180,000
Project Title: Towards Precision Care: Unraveling Molecular Mechanisms of Childhood IgAN through sCD89 Insights
Category:  Glomerulonephritis, Kidney Biology, Predictive Biomarkers

Mark Canney

Co-Applicant(s):  Ayub Akbari, Brendan McCormick, Caitlin Hesketh, David Massicotte-Azarniouch, Grace Fox, Sean Barbour, Stuart Nicholls, Todd Fairhead
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, ON
2024 - 2026:  $119,128
Project Title: Self Management to Achieve Reduction in proTeinuria in IgA Nephropathy (SMART-IgAN)
Category:  Glomerulonephritis, Hypertension, Patient Care

Rahul Chanchlani

Co-Applicant(s):  Aisha Lofters, Catherine Birken, Charles Keown-Stoneman, Emily Haseler, Gita Wahi, Janis Dionne, Jonathan Maguire, Katherine Morrison, Kozeta Miliku, Laura Anderson, Manish Sinha, Padmaja Subbarao, Russell Jude de Souza, Shrikant Bangdiwala, Sonia Savitri Anand, Stuart Turvey, Sujane Kandasamy, Tammy McLoughlin Brady, Tiffany Bradshaw
McMaster University, ON
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title: Derivation and external validation of a risk prediction model for targeted screening for high blood pressure in children
Category:  Hypertension, Population Health, Screening & Prevention of Renal Disease

Sacha DeSerres

Co-Applicant(s):  Mohsen Agharazii
Laval University, QC
2024 - 2026:  $117,502
Project Title: Taking advantage of the High Interindividual Heterogeneity in the Expression of HLA molecules on Human Kidney Endothelial Cells to Personalize Immunotherapy
Category:  Patient Care, Predictive Biomarkers, Transplantation

Richard Hébert

Co-Applicant(s):
University of Ottawa, ON
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title: SGLT2 inhibition: impact on mitochondrial mice PT
Category:  Diabetes

Gregory Hundemer

Co-Applicant(s):  Alexander Leung, Arya Rahgozar, David Colantonio, François Madore, Gregory Kline, Manish Sood, Mohsen Agharazii, Remi Goupil, Tim Ramsay
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, ON
2024 - 2027:  $119,911
Project Title: Subclinical Primary Aldosteronism: A Novel Target to Improve Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease
Category:  Chronic Kidney Disease, Hypertension

Nina Jones

Co-Applicant(s):
University of Guelph, ON
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title: Signalling mechanisms of Nck adaptor proteins in podocytes
Category:  Kidney Biology

Thomas Kitzler

Co-Applicant(s):
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, QC
2024 - 2026:  $180,000
Project Title: A comprehensive approach to study novel monogenic causes of CAKUT in humans
Category:  Chronic Kidney Disease, Genetics, Kidney Development

Joan Krepinsky

Co-Applicant(s):
McMaster University, ON
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title: Understanding the role of inhibin beta C in diabetic kidney disease
Category:  Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetes

York Pei

Co-Applicant(s):  James Scholey
University Health Network, ON
2024 - 2026:  $119,914
Project Title: Drug Repurposing for treatment of Alport Syndrome
Category:  Genetics, Glomerulonephritis

Daniela Rotin

Co-Applicant(s):  Mathieu Lemaire
The Hospital for Sick Children, ON
2024 - 2026:  $119,786
Project Title: The ubiquitin ligase NEDD4L as a novel determinant of blood pressure
Category:  Hypertension, Water/Salt and Calcium Handling by the Kidney

Shaifali Sandal

Co-Applicant(s):  Ann Bugeja, Ekaterina (Katya) Loban, Heather Badenoch, Marie-Chantal Fortin, Ngan Lam, Peter Nugus, Rahul Mainra, Rosemary Morgan
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, QC
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title: Identifying the Causes of Gender Inequities in Living Kidney Donation
Category:  Organ Donation, Patient Care, Transplantation

Manish Sood

Co-Applicant(s):  Ann Bugeja, Ayub Akbari, Gamal Wafy, Gregory Hundemer, Junayd Hussain, Maneesh Sud, Navdeep Tangri, Peter Tanuseputro, Pietro Ravani, Stephen Fung
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, ON
2024 - 2026:  $119,999
Project Title: Re(de)fining CKD to reduce kidney disease in young adults
Category:  Chronic Kidney Disease, Population Health

Tomoko Takano, Ciriaco A Piccirillo

Co-Applicant(s): 
The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, QC
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title: Role of the extrafollicular B cell response in the production of anti-podocyte antibodies in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome
Category:  Glomerulonephritis

Allied Health Kidney Research Grant

Maoliosa Donald

Co-Applicant(s):  Amity Quinn, Brenda Hemmelgarn, Kim Manalili, Meghan J. Elliott
University of Calgary, AB 
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title:  Enhancing person-centered care for people with chronic kidney disease
Category:  Patient Care, Quality of Life

Catherine Fortier

Co-Applicant(s):  Mohsen Agharazii, Paul Poirier
Laval University, QC
2024 - 2026:  $120,000
Project Title:  Sustainable Exercise Habits and Vascular Health in Hemodialysis Patients
Category:  Hypertension, Patient Care, Quality of Life
 

Allied Health Kidney Doctoral Fellowship

Julia St Louis

Supervisor(s):  Kimberley Widger
University of Toronto, ON
2024 - 2026:  $62,000
Project Title:  Advancing Infant Organ Donation in Canada: A Multi-Methods Study
Category:  Organ Donation
 

Allied Health Kidney Scholarship

Mai Mohsen

Supervisor(s):  David Cherney
University Health Network, ON
2024 - 2025:  $5,000
Project Title:  The use of new glucose lowering therapies to reduce cardiorenal risk in kidney transplant recipients (KTR)
Category: Diabetic Kidney Disease
 

KRESCENT New Investigator Award

Sergi Clotet-Freixas

McMaster University, ON
2024 - 2027:  $195,000
Infrastructure:  $25,000
Project Title:  Sex-based study of renal metabolism to uncover novel targets in DKD and AKI
Category:  Kidney Biology

Ann Young

St Michael's Hospital, ON
2024 - 2027:  $210,000
Infrastructure:  $25,000
Project Title:  KidneyCare Outreach: Strengthening care delivery for patients at high risk
Category:  Chronic Kidney Disease
 

KRESCENT Post-Doctoral Fellowship

Adrianna Douvris

Supervisor(s):  William Stanford
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, ON
2024 - 2027:  $184,166
Project Title:  Mechanism of tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) kidney disease pathogenesis
Category: Genetics

Waleed Rahmani

Supervisor(s):  Benjamin Humphreys, Kory Lavine
Washington University in St. Louis, MO 
2024 - 2027:  $65,000
Project Title:  The macrophage niche and its role in repair after ischemic AKI
Category: Acute Kidney Injury

Cal Robinson

Supervisor(s):  Rulan Parekh, Anna Heath
The Hospital for Sick Children, ON
2024 - 2027:  $195,000
Project Title:  Improving nephrotic syndrome treatment using novel clinical trial methods
Category: Glomerulonephritis

KRESCENT Summer Student

Tolu Ehindero

Supervisor(s):  Aminu Bello
University of Alberta, AB
2024 - 2024:  $12,000

Halimat Ibrahim

Supervisor(s):  Aminu Bello
University of Alberta, AB
2024 - 2024: $12,000

Chloe Williams

Supervisor(s):  Michael Zappitelli
The Hospital for Sick Childrent, ON
2024 - 2024: $12,000