Journal of Nursing and Health Studies

Dr. Amrendra Kumar Ajay
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School, USA

Biography

After completing my postgraduate studies at National Centre for Cell Science, University of Pune, India investigating the signaling pathway involved in response to chemotherapy in cancer mouse models, I started a postdoctoral position at Brigham and Women?s Hospital and Harvard Medical School undertaking research to understand the molecular pathways that contribute to acute kidney injury (AKI) and kidney fibrosis. AKI affects over one million hospitalized patients each year in the US and is correlated with significant increases in mortality, even when patients do not progress to the stage of renal dialysis. Kidney fibrosis is the central pathways leading to chronic kidney diseases. My recent research has been concerned with the role of fibrinogen in the induction and progression of kidney injury, with particular interest in the role of fibrinogen in an ischemia reperfusion kidney injury model where I have shown that reduction in fibrinogen levels protects mice from acute kidney injury and kidney fibrosis. I have delineated the molecular pathways involved in regulation of kidney injury molecule-1 an FDA approved biomarker for acute kidney injury. Currently, I am working to find out the inhibitor of kidney injury molecule-1 to inhibit kidney fibrosis. In addition I am studying the role of STAT3 in AKI to CKD progression and its therapeutic targets and strategies for the treatment or prevention of AKI or CKD. I aim to contribute effective, meaningful research to advance our understanding of mechanism of development of acute and chronic kidney injury, and to improve clinical outcomes for patients with kidney disease.

Research Interest

Thoroughly trained in animal and cell biology with expertise in both in vitro and in vivo drug cytotoxicity and tumorigenesis assays with profound knowledge of cell based assays, cell signaling, cellular and molecular biology of cancer as well as kidney cells. High throughput screening of compounds and CRISPR mediated gene knock in and knock out in cell lines and mice models. Studying the molecular mechanisms of acute and chronic kidney injury.