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The George M. O'Brien Kidney Research Core Center at the Univiersity of Michigan has been established to assist investigators and clinicians worldwide in kidney disease research. Core services are available to Center researchers to promote their basic, translational and clinical kidney disease research.

Available cores include:

The Applied Systems Biology Core, which provides

• One-on-one assistance using in-person and web-based portal communication for development and alaysis of systems biology ('omics) or other complex research projects
• Semi-structured workflow development for data integration into specific functional contexts for scientists with recurrent data analysis needs and limited supervision requirements
• Access to a web-based search engine and database, called Nephromine, which provides user-friendly analytic tools for all published and several unpublished genome-wide expression studies of patients with kidney diseases

For services, contact: nephinfo1@med.umich.edu

The Clinical Phenotyping and Resource Biobank Core (C-PROBE), which has information and biosamples (blood, urine, kidney biopsy material, including RNA) on a diverse population of over 800 research participants. In order to obtain permission to use the clinical data and/or biosamples, approval of a Research Proposal is required. Upon approval, investigators have access to:

Phenotypic Data:

• Participant Demographics
• Social / Health Histories
• Clinical Laboratory Results

Biological Specimens:

• Urine Supernatant – 14.4 mL (Maximum distributed for any ancillary study is 2.5 mL)
• Urine Pellet (re-suspended in RNAlater) – 0.2 mL
• Blood Plasma – 14.4 mL
• RNA Paxgene tube (1)
• DNA – DNA Paxgene tube (1) or DNA processed with Gentra system

The Basic Science Research Enhancement Core, facilitates basic science research, related to kidney disease by providing discounts for core services. Discounts are available after application approval for the following core services

• Imaging Services
• Microtome and Cryostat Training
• DNA Microarray and Sequencing Core
• Transgenic Core

The Pilot and FeasibilityStudy Grant Program (P/FS) of the George M. O'Brien Kidney Core Center at the University of Michigan, provides funding up to $50,000/year for up to two years for new and innovative approaches – clinical, translational, and basic science – to study kidney disease. This NIH/NIDDK funded program provides funds to promote research initiatives by new and established University of Michigan faculty in the area of kidney disease.The goal of the progam is to enable investigators to generate preliminary data sufficient for a successful application for major research funding from national funding agencies. Particularly encouraged are applications from junior investigators and from investigators external to the renal community who have training and expertise that can be applied in innovative fashion to the study of kidney disease. RFA's will be announced on this page.

The Medical Student Training Program in Kidney Disease allows medical students to conduct research under the direction of an established scientist in the areas of basic science, systems biological, translational, clinical, or health services research in kidney disease. This 8-week research experience is funded by NIDDK and provides a weekly stipend. In addition to research, the students attend weekly lectures by Nephrology faculty and also participate in activities of the University of Michigan Student Biomedical Research Program, including the Fall SBRP Research Symposium. The on-line application and faculty mentors can be found on the Summer Student web page.

Links:

• University of Michigan Health System, Division of Nephrology
• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• The National Kidney Foundation
• National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
• Wolverines For Life