Federal Grant Award Summary

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) received a $167,400 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847), effective May 1, 2026, through January 31, 2031. This K08 Career Development Award funds mentored research investigating the role of the inwardly rectifying potassium channel KIR4.1 in potassium sensing and signaling within the thick ascending limb (TAL) of the nephron. The research integrates TAL-specific KIR4.1 knockout models with advanced imaging, metabolic phenotyping, tubule perfusion, and single-nucleus RNA sequencing to elucidate how KIR4.1 regulates sodium and potassium handling and drives structural and transcriptional remodeling in response to dietary potassium stress.

The deliverables include two primary research objectives: (1) determining how KIR4.1 enables basolateral potassium sensing and regulates TAL transport function, and (2) characterizing structural and transcriptional remodeling of KIR4.1-expressing TAL cells in response to extreme dietary potassium conditions. The award supports structured mentored training in electrophysiology, high-resolution imaging, and transcriptomic analysis, positioning the candidate to establish an independent research program focused on renal epithelial transport in genetic and acquired tubulopathies. The research aims to identify new therapeutic targets for hypokalemic disorders and diuretic resistance by closing knowledge gaps in segment-specific potassium sensing mechanisms.