Kidney Research Institute tour and open house October 20, 2010

The Kidney Research Institute, a collaboration between Northwest Kidney Centers and UW Medicine, will host a laboratory tour and educational event. Visitors will learn about the breakthrough research studies the institute has been working on since its inception two years ago.

Researchers will give brief talks about:
* The role of genetics in kidney disease
* Efforts to optimize outcomes for dialysis patients
* The impact of lifestyle factors

Parking is free and light refreshments will be served.

The Kidney Research Institute's long-term vision is to find better ways to detect kidney disease, slow its progression, and create optimal treatments. It currently has 17 studies under way to look at how to improve the lives of people with kidney disease. Investigators have been awarded nearly $20 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health and other sources - a big vote of confidence for a new institute.

"Kidney disease is a public health issue, up 30 percent over the last decade," said Dr. Jonathan Himmelfarb, director of the Kidney Research Institute. "We are working to find new, effective treatments for advanced kidney disease through relevant research, and then translating these discoveries back into direct and improved care for the patient."

The new research facility and laboratory on the Harborview Medical Center campus in Seattle were equipped using seed money from Northwest Kidney Centers and generous individuals.

One in seven adult Americans has chronic kidney disease, which is linked to premature cardiovascular disease, fractures, infections, and diminished physical and mental functioning. Despite robust basic research, clinical practice has lagged in developing new treatments for kidney disease. Dialysis technology has changed little in the last 50 years, and the mortality rate of people on dialysis has not decreased significantly either. The Kidney Research Institute was founded to tackle those problems.

Official Website: http://kri.washington.edu