Valen Cover Keefer & Glee's Brad Ellis

We’re so proud of our spokesperson, Valen Cover Keefer, who has been all over California, sporting blue and green in honor of Donate Life month, sharing her story and spreading the word about organ donation. As one of Donate Life’s “12 Inspiring Women of the 20 million in 2012″ campaign, Valen participated in a celebrity photo shoot in Beverly Hills, organized by Ann Lopez, who donated a kidney to her former husband, comedian George Lopez, in 2005.

Valen’s adventures have taken her from news and radio interviews in Sacramento to a special celebration in Truckee, California, which leads the state in organ donation sign-ups at the DMV.

To see more photos, visit our Facebook page and view Valen’s Donate Life album.

Ann Lopez, Valen & just some of Donate Life's 12 inspiring women of the "20 million in 2012" campaign

Valen's TV interview in Sacramento

Valen and the Donate Life team in Truckee

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We are excited to announce that Dr. Janos Peti-Peterdi is receiving recognition from leading scientific societies and the renal research community for his UKRO-funded work on urinary succinate and the metabolic receptor GPR91. He will be an invited speaker this November at the American Society of Nephrology meeting in San Diego, giving a symposium talk on his translational studies of urinary succinate/GPR91 and the role they play in renovascular hypertension. We are thrilled that he will be acknowledging UKRO’s support in front of such a large and prestigious audience.

Dr. Peti-Peterdi’s colleagues on this project have great news to share as well. Nikhil Kamat has been awarded an American Society of Nephrology Student Scholar Fellowship. Anne Riquier-Brison, a postdoctoral fellow and recipient of UKRO’s 2010 John McKay Fellowship in Renal Research, has submitted an abstract to the Experimental Biology Meeting in San Diego. Her work was selected for an oral presentation in a symposium sponsored by the American Physiological Society Renal Section. Anne will be giving her talk on April 23, 2012, and was also asked to be chair of her session. In praising his fellow researchers, Peti-Peterdi said, “These are wonderful achievements for Anne and Nikhil, and in recognition of our work. We are very proud to be sponsored by UKRO on this exciting project!”

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From April 2 to April 7, 2012, fabulous celebrity consignment shop, the AdDress Boutique, is hosting a silent auction of gorgeous hats from Natalie Cole’s collection. Drop by the store at 1116 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, and place your bid for one or all of these hats, just perfect for the spring season. All proceeds go to UKRO. Special thanks to Maureen Clavin, owner of AdDress Boutique, and Natalie Cole for this fun pop-up UKRO fundraiser!

You can check out AdDress Boutique online at their website and Facebook page.

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On July 1, 2011, Ronald S. Taubman, Board Member and Chair of UKRO’s Development Committee was appointed to a two-year term on the OPTN/UNOS Kidney Committee. Ron has been involved in local, state, and national organ and tissue donation and transplant issues for the last 10 years. He previously served as the Region 5 Representative on the OPTN/UNOS Pancreas Committee from July 2007 to June 2009.

Congratulations, Ron and thank you for all the work you do on behalf of UKRO and the kidney community!

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We’re excited to announce that UKRO will be sponsoring a rider on the 2012 Donate Life Rose Parade float. Next year’s parade theme, “Just Imagine…” pairs perfectly with the Donate Life float theme of “…One More Day,” envisioning a dream day when past moments are recaptured and new memories are made – “when donor families are reunited with loved ones, transplant recipients thrive, and living and registered donors step forward so that a life-saving transplant is available to everyone in need.”  Research undoubtedly plays a part in making “one more day” possible for kidney patients, transplant recipients, and their families, and we’re proud to be a part of this inspiring float.

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