![\"Dr.](\"http:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/AbouAlaiwi-Lab.jpg\")
<\/a>Dr. Wissam AbouAlaiwi and doctoral student Hannah Saternos both received grants for their research examining how a genetic kidney disorder increases a person\u2019s risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.<\/p><\/div>PKD is a genetic disorder that causes numerous fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys, ultimately destroying their architecture and reducing their function over time. These cysts also are associated with the development of high blood pressure and problems with the heart and blood vessels in the brain. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere is currently no cure or treatment for PKD. A kidney transplant can buy an individual more time, but patients with PKD will still usually die from cardiovascular complications such as high blood pressure and heart disease,\u201d AbouAlaiwi said.<\/p>\n
AbouAlaiwi and his team are studying a cellular organelle called primary cilia and its role in kidney and cardiovascular disease. <\/p>\n
\u201cPrimary cilia are antenna-like structures that, until recently, were believed to have no function in the body. We now know they contribute to dozens of genetic disorders and play a role in calcium signaling in heart cells, which is important to its contraction,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have developed mouse models to further study these cilia and the complications that arise from their dysfunction.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is the third grant for AbouAlaiwi\u2019s lab in one year, and he is quick to credit his team of students for their hard work and dedication.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe students are very reliable and passionate and the driving force behind the research,\u201d he said. \u201cFunding for research is very competitive, and I am proud that Hannah was able to receive support from the American Heart Association. She is very talented, smart and dedicated to her work. The award is well-deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saternos is researching the function of a family of receptors that she recently discovered in the primary cilia and how it affects PKD and regulates blood pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you would have told me four years ago I would be working with the kidney and loving it, I would have thought you were crazy,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s fascinating. I don\u2019t think people realize how much impact the kidney has on the rest of the body.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dr. Wissam AbouAlaiwi and doctoral student Hannah Saternos both received grants to examine how a genetic kidney disorder increases a person\u2019s risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":819,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,42,3,7],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41001"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/819"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41001"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61962,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41001\/revisions\/61962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.utoledo.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}