Research Projects

Marginal Structural Recurrent Event Models

We develop novel marginal structural models to estimate effects of time-varying treatments on recurrent event outcomes to account for time-dependent confounding. We develop theoretical properties of models and test their performance using Monte Carlo simulation studies. New models are applied to real data from observational cohort studies and electronic health record databases to answer important clinical questions for children and adults with kidney diseases. This project is supported by an NIH/NIDDK-funded P50 grant and was previously supported by a NephCure pilot grant.

Computational Pathology in Kidney Diseases

We collaborate with nephropathologists, nephrologists, engineers, and molecular biologists to extract information from digital kidney biopsy images and identify important diagnostic, mechanistic, and prognostic imaging features. We develop novel high-dimensional statistical methods to analyze these data and use machine learning, computational image analysis, and bioinformatics tools to extract and integrate (bulk, single-cell, and spatial) transcriptomic, imaging, and clinical data. These projects are supported by multiple NIH/NIDDK-funded R01 grants.

Glomerular Disease

We collaborate with investigators in the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE) and Cure Glomerulonephropathy Network (CureGN) to conduct clinical research in glomerular disease, including projects related to biomarker discovery, nocturnal blood pressure dysregulation, vaccine effectiveness, pregnancy, and skeletal outcomes. Our research team leads studies and develops new methods for analyses of time-varying biomarkers and kidney function outcomes. These projects are supported by an NIH/NIDDK-funded R01 grant, an NIH/NHLBI-funded R01 grant, and the NIH/NIDDK-funded NEPTUNE U54 grant.

Pediatric Kidney Disease

We collaborate with pediatric nephrologists at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to conduct clinical research in pediatric kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, kidney transplant, and thrombotic microangiopathy. We lead research on kidney disease progression as part of the Preserving Kidney Function in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease (PRESERVE) study that leverages the PCORnet electronic health records database. These projects are supported by an NIH/NHLBI-funded R01 grant and the Penn-CHOP Kidney Innovation Center.