Chirag R. Parikh, M.D., PhD,
Director, Division of Nephrology
Ronald Peterson Professor of Medicine,
1830 E. Monument Street
4th Floor, Suite 416
Baltimore, MD 21287

Hopkins Nephrology
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My research group is dedicated to the application of laboratory and preclinical-based discoveries to clinical studies in kidney disease and related disorders. An overarching component of our mission is to advance the mechanistic understanding of novel biomarkers and to enhance their clinical utility in complex diseases. Our multidisciplinary team is comprised of talented physicians and scientists committed to patient-oriented research and developing solutions in clinical medicine and disease management in the community. Our group aims to leverage our collective creativity, commitment, experiences, and skills to improve the care of patients and communities.

I founded the Translational Research in Biomarker Endpoints and Applications in Kidney Disease (TRIBE-AKD) consortium in 2005. This consortium has conducted multicenter studies for efficient discovery and validation of novel biomarkers of kidney diseases. Current clinical definitions of kidney disease are largely based on serum creatinine, an imperfect measure that obscures much of the heterogeneity in kidney diseases thereby impeding clinical management and drug development. Work from the TRIBE-AKD group has dissected this heterogeneity in kidney diseases through biomarkers of renal tubular injury, repair, and inflammation.

The TRIBE-AKD group has developed assays for several kidney injury biomarkers and amassed novel translational research methodologies for biomarker development and assessing biomarker performance. We have assembled multicenter longitudinal prospective cohorts for translational research studies across several clinical settings of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease supported by a large biosample repository with associated bioinformatic methods. Leveraging both our biosample repository and bioinformatics, we are positioned to support all phases of translational research and biomarker development. Our studies have advanced clinical management in several settings such as; expand deceased donor kidney transplantation by reducing discard of kidneys with acute kidney injury, refine the clinical definitions of perioperative AKI and hepatorenal syndrome and identify patients with rapid decline in kidney function in diabetic kidney disease. Our studies have also advanced the regulatory approvals of kidney injury biomarkers.

We have created a collaborative environment supported by a strong research network and infrastructure. We actively seek the perspective of patients, communities, and other fields of research. The group also seeks to recruit and train students and young scientists to translate pathophysiological mechanisms into clinical practice that can directly improve patient outcomes.