# Discovery Science Collaborative for CKDu

> **NIH NIH U01** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $705,260

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
The overall goal of the Discovery Science Collaborative for CKDu Renal Science Core is to bring the best
investigative methods and scientific technology to the problem of CKDu. We will work closely with Field
Epidemiology Sites, the Scientific Data Coordinating Center, NIDDK Leadership, the External Oversight
Committee, and HHEAR to design clinical phenotyping studies and perform discovery science experiments.
We will then integrate this data to elucidate the etiology and progression factors of CKDu occurring in diverse
agricultural communities. The Renal Science Core is a multi-institutional collaborative organized around six
Core components: Genomics, Pathology, Transcriptomics, Biomarkers, Physiology, and Bioinformatics. The
specific aims of the RSC are to: (1) characterize the clinical phenotypes and natural history of patients with
CKDu and unaffected individuals in CKDu-endemic regions, comparing features across CKDu sites and
determining the degree of similarities and differences across sites and regions; (2) introduce cutting-edge
molecular technologies to compare the risk factors and pathophysiology of CKDu across and within study sites
to understand both shared and unique aspects of the etiology of disease; (3) define the relationship between
AKI and CKDu in endemic regions; and (4) build a flexible, adaptable infrastructure for both hypothesis- and
non-hypothesis-based approaches to understanding etiology that will form the core of ongoing CKDu studies.
The leadership team of the RSC has extensive experience working on CKDu, a history of collaboration on
international working groups, and leadership roles on other major NIDDK consortia. This group brings together
expertise in nephrology, genomics, nephropathology, machine learning algorithms for digital pathology, single-
cell transcriptomics, biomarker development, proteomics, metabolomics, renal physiology, bioinformatics, and
data integration. We have also enlisted several advisors with expertise in novel pathogen discovery, novel
imaging technologies, and environmental sampling. These studies will result in a greater understanding of the
underlying pathophysiology of CKDu.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10300877
- **Project number:** 1U01DK130060-01
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** VIVEK BHALLA
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $705,260
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-25 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10300877

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10300877, Discovery Science Collaborative for CKDu (1U01DK130060-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10300877. Licensed CC0.

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