# The Interactive Roles of Neighborhood Characteristics and Genetic Risk in Racial Inequalities in CKD

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $152,614

## Abstract

ABSTRACT: Racial inequalities in kidney and end stage renal diseases (ESRD) have been well-documented
and are independent of lower socioeconomic status (e.g., income, education), lower access to care, or other
conventional risk factors. Research has identified numerous genetic risk factors of renal disease, particularly
the APOL1 variants occurring in persons of African descent. However, these genetic factors primarily increase
susceptibility, requiring other factors for the development of disease.
A growing body of research indicates the importance of neighborhoods for health and health inequalities.
Unequal neighborhood contexts may be an important and largely unexplored determinant of the increased
kidney disease risk experienced by Blacks compared to Whites. In fact, neighborhood context may interact
with genetic susceptibility to result in kidney disease inequalities. Clarifying the role of neighborhood is
important as neighborhoods are neither random nor naturally-occurring. They develop and change through
policies and are thus amenable to intervention. Despite the evidence indicating the importance of
neighborhoods for the major risk factors and determinants of kidney disease, there is a dearth of empirical
research on the role of neighborhoods in relation to kidney disease itself, particularly at pre-ESRD stages. The
primary challenges to research in this area are: (a) the lack of skilled researchers with training in both social
science and the pathophysiology and genetic science of kidney disease; and (b) the paucity of datasets that
contain high quality neighborhood and clinical and genetic measures.
To reach my long-term career goal to become a successful, independent researcher who clarifies the social
causes and genetic and biomedical mechanisms of racial CKD inequalities, I will address the current scientific
challenges through the proposed training and research, respectively by: (a) complementing my early work in
the biological sciences and extensive training in the social sciences with extensive training in the
pathophysiology and genetics of kidney disease; and (b) creating state-of-the-art neighborhood measures to
existing datasets with high quality repeat clinical measures of renal function and damage.
I will address three career goals:
 1. To obtain formal training in renal physiology and pathophysiology.
 2. To develop expertise in genetic epidemiology and population genetics pertaining to racial inequalities in
 kidney disease.
 3. To take the first step toward independence through an R01 submission.
My training will include mentorship and collaboration with leading experts in the genetics and pathophysiology
of CKD inequalities, formal coursework in genetic epidemiology, statistical/population genetics, and renal
physiology/pathophysiology, and multiple conferences and workshops on the substantive topics of genetics,
race, and CKD and on professional development.
Through my research project, I will use three cohorts (Health...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9969367
- **Project number:** 5K01DK106322-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Margaret Takako Hicken
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $152,614
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-31 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9969367

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9969367, The Interactive Roles of Neighborhood Characteristics and Genetic Risk in Racial Inequalities in CKD (5K01DK106322-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9969367. Licensed CC0.

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