Nephrology/Hypertension Home
Robert Rosa, MD
The Division of Nephrology/Hypertension provides consultative services and treatment for patients suffering from renal diseases and hypertension at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. The missions of the division are to provide outstanding care for patients and excellent training for fellows, residents, and medical students in the areas of renal disease, renal transplantation, and hypertension as well as to increase the body of knowledge in these areas through basic and clinical research. The faculty of the Division serve a large dialysis and transplant population as well as patients with chronic renal diseases in a comprehensive renal clinic.
The faculty of the division also have a diverse set of basic and clinical research interests. Basic research interests include examining the cellular mechanisms involved in acid/base and potassium physiology as well as hypertension and the role of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy and hypertension. Other areas of focus involve an understanding of the mechanisms of rejection and tolerance employing animal models of organ transplantation, studies of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes and studies of the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, with particular emphasis on signaling pathways, podocyte motility, and albuminuria.
Clinical research interests include studies examining racial differences in electrolyte metabolism and water handling, especially with regard to the role they may play in the development of hypertension, studies of the pathogenesis of distal renal tubular acidosis, the treatment of adult polycystic renal disease and the treatment of bone and mineral abnormalities in endstage renal disease. In the area of renal transplantation, there are studies to detect and to treat donor specific antibodies, determine markers of early kidney graft dysfunction and biomarkers for clinical tolerance as well as research projects to address geographic disparities in kidney allocation. There is also a focus on medical informatics and the development of software to improve clinical research in transplantation.
Our fellowship program is structured to attract well qualified individuals seeking a career in academic nephrology and consists of a clinical track(2 years) and a research track(3) years.
Our modern clinical and research facilities are located centrally in downtown Chicago on the Northwestern medical center campus. In addition, our faculty, fellows, residents, and students have clinical responsibilities and rotations at the Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Hospital in Chicago.
