MUSC Children's Hospital - April 2008 Newsletter

We're all about children!

April 2008

Children's Research Institute News Brief

New researcher focuses on role of cilium in rare diseases

Dr. Robert Kolb

With a prestigious NIH-funded K award in hand, last month Robert Kolb, Ph.D., returned to his native South Carolina to "set up shop" and conduct research on rare diseases that affect children and adults.

With a long-term interest in kidney function, Dr. Kolb, a native of Sumter, returns to S.C. to join Dr. Darwin Bell's Renal Biology Lab in the Darby Research Children's Institute. Dr. Kolb recently completed his postdoctoral research in renal physiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, part of the Harvard Institutes of Medicine in Boston.

"The K-Award gives me greater flexibility on where I'm based, and this is a great opportunity to move back down South, be closer to my parents," says Dr. Kolb. "I also wanted to work with Dr. Bell and, when he agreed to be my mentor - the K- Award is a mentor-based program - it sealed the deal."

Buoyed by the supportive environment at the DCRI and Dr. Lyndon Key's enthusiasm and willingness to help, Dr. Kolb came on board in February.

Joining Dr. Bell's team in the Renal Biology Lab, Dr. Kolb will focus his research on primary cilia and their role in glomerular podocyte cells, the major cell type affected at the onset of such diseases as minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, lupus nephritis and diabetic nephropathy.

"Our long-term goal is to understand the functional significance of the podocyte cilium as it relates to glomerular filtration. Hopefully these studies will reveal some key insight into the mechanisms of renal disease," he explains.

He'll also be working alongside Dr. Bell to elucidate the role of cilium in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), a kidney disorder that affects mostly children, and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), which affects adults.

"I hope to merge these two projects in a way that will clearly define the role of the primary cilium, which is a great research opportunity for me," he says. "It's encouraging that there is lots of room for collaboration within MUSC."

Dr. Kolb hopes this research project will lead to an R01 award, which would give him more flexibility and control over his future research plans.

"The hope is that the research I'm doing now and in the future will lead to insights into these rare diseases that affect children and adults," says Dr. Kolb.

"Being able to accomplish my goals with the K award and be close to my family - it's a nice fit all the way around."

	Inderjit Singh, PhD Scientific Director Darby Children's Research Inst.
	Bernard L. Maria, MD, MBA Executive Director Darby Children's Research Inst.