News

Introducing the 2023 RBK Opportunity Pool Awardees

Jul 27, 2023

We are excited to announce the distinguished recipients of the 2023 RBK Opportunity Pool grants! The ATLAS-D2K Center, the coordinating center for the RBK, administers funding opportunities to support research efforts that address scientific gaps and challenges identified by the RBK or foster new collaborations. This year’s awardees have displayed exceptional dedication and innovation in their respective fields.

Nils Lindstrom (USC) - “Stepwise Developmental Mimicry Generates Proximal Tubules in Organoids”

Nils Lindstrom’s project aims to generate proximal tubules in organoids through stepwise developmental mimicry, investigating gene regulation during proximal tubule development and identifying genetic changes to optimize kidney organoid protocols. (View the project page.)

Kyle McCracken (Cincinnati Children’s) - “Integrating UB Collecting Systems into hPSC-derived Kidney Organoids”

Kyle McCracken’s project aims to integrate UB (urinary bladder) collecting systems into hPSC-derived kidney organoids, investigating the fusion of distal nephron epithelium to collecting duct-like tubules, characterizing developmental processes, and assessing the impact of this fusion on maturation outcomes in kidney organoids in vitro and in vivo. (View the project page.)

Elizabeth Nguyen (Seattle Children’s) - “Single-nuclei Multiome Atlas for a Mammalian Model of Kidney Regeneration”

Elizabeth Nguyen’s project aims to create a single-nuclei multiome atlas to investigate kidney tissue regeneration in spiny mice, correlating gene expression levels with epigenetic changes in regions of open chromatin after ischemia-reperfusion injury. (View the project page.)

Congratulations to Nils Lindstrom, Kyle McCracken, and Elizabeth Nguyen on their well-deserved awards!