Ayshwarya Subramanian, assistant professor of molecular biology and genetics in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named a winner of the Pilot Award. The Pilot Award Program is a component of the National Disease Research Interchange’s (NDRI) Human Tissues and Organs for Research Resource (HTORR) program. Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), this program facilitates the collection of preliminary data necessary for an investigator to obtain subsequent funding.

Credit: Provided

Over the course of two years, the awarded investigators will receive project-specific human biospecimen service to support the advancement of their scientific goals. All sample, preservation, pathology assessment and shipping costs are covered by the award, as well as supplementary support to develop grant applications to relevant NIH Institutes. 

Subramanian researches diabetic kidney disease, the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, affecting 30% to 50% of people with diabetes. Current therapies can slow but not prevent kidney decline, leaving many patients at risk for dialysis or transplantation. Her project investigates a promising but underexplored path – harnessing the body’s own immune cells, specifically a cell type called “macrophages,” to counter harmful inflammation and protect kidney tissue.

Read the full story on the College of Arts and Sciences website.