Will you help us find cures for kidney disease this holiday season?
"My grandmother has chronic kidney disease because of her diabetes. She is the reason I am working as a researcher in the field of kidney regenerative medicine.
My Kidney Wish is to generate a kidney-assistance device from stem cells that can replace key functions of the kidney, eliminating the need for dialysis or transplant. Kidney transplants are very limited and many patients die while they’re still waiting for organs. There’s an urgent need for us to find alternative ways to replace the kidneys. Please support cutting-edge kidney research by donating to UKRO this holiday season."
Dr. Zhongwei Li, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Follow UKRO's My Kidney Wish campaign all through the month of December as our researchers share the stories behind their fight to wipe out kidney disease.
About UKRO and the USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center
UKRO is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit charity founded in 2002 by entertainment lawyer Kenneth Kleinberg with the help of Dr. Vito M. Campese, then Professor and Chief of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Our mission is fundraising to support medical research and education related to the causes, treatment, and eradication of all forms of kidney disease.
Since 2002, UKRO has raised significant dollars to fund cutting-edge research at the earliest stage of development, in addition to educational symposia and fellowships. Our special project grants have been awarded to nationally recognized experts from interdisciplinary labs at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, City of Hope, and UCLA.
We believe that collaboration among scientists working in a variety of fields is the key to understanding chronic kidney disease, discovering improved therapies, and finding a much-needed cure. To that end, in September 2012, UKRO entered into an agreement with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California to establish what we envision as a premier center nationally for kidney research—the USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center (KRC). We have made an initial $3.5 million pledge to support the establishment of the KRC, which officially opened in 2015. UKRO’s gift will be matched by equivalent contributions from the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Led by Kenneth Hallows, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.S.N., the research team at the KRC is exploring kidney regeneration and stem cell therapies, acute kidney injury, hypertension, polycystic kidney disease, acid regulation, kidney cancer, and more.
UKRO Remembers Ron Taubman
UKRO mourns the loss of our dear friend and former board member and Chief Financial Officer, Ronald Taubman, who passed away on September 10, 2019 at the age of 74. Ron was a kind, courageous, special man with a generous heart. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a…
Keck School of Medicine of USC Hosts World Kidney Day Health Fair
Bravo to the USC School of Pharmacy, members of KDSAP (Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program), the Internal Medicine Residency Program and the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Keck School of Medicine, and all involved in the 2nd Annual World Kidney Day Health Fair, which took place on…
USC Researchers Use Nanoparticles to Target Kidneys
In an exciting cross-collaboration, researchers from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the Keck School of Medicine have created tiny nanoparticles, known as micelles, to target diseased kidney cells. Made with an ingenious kidney-targeting peptide, these biocompatible and biodegradable micelles can pass into the kidney and remain there, with…
Kidney Research Center Welcomes Eugene Lin
This month the USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center (KRC) welcomed Eugene Lin, M.D., M.S., to the team. Dr. Lin is an Assistant Professor of Medicine with a joint appointment at the KRC and the Department of Medicine’s Division of Nephrology and the Saul Price School of Public Policy and the USC…
The Chronic Kidney Disease Crisis
Chronic kidney disease affects the general population, but is particularly prevalent among African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans. Diabetes and hypertension are the leading causes of kidney disease. Left untreated, kidney disease can lead to permanent damage and kidney failure. It is imperative that we protect our kidney health.