Moumita Barua

My goal is to translate our research findings to clinical care for the improvement of diagnostics and outcomes in kidney disease. I focus on glomerular disorders, a group of diseases that are currently distinguished on the basis of renal histology. Glomerular diseases manifest with nephrotic syndrome (NS), comprised of abnormal protein loss in the urine, swelling, predisposition to infection and susceptibility to blood clots. One of the commonest causes of NS in adults is focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), characterized by scarring in the kidney filters (called glomerulus). Approximately half of individuals with FSGS will not respond to standard treatment and develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD), necessitating renal replacement therapy in the form of dialysis or transplantation.

The starting point of our research is to perform DNA sequencing in adults with FSGS and other glomerular disorders. We use our genetic discoveries to better define mechanisms underlying these disorders in cell and clinically relevant animal models. Our sequencing effort has highlighted an emerging importance of type 4 collagen defects in the pathogenesis of adult FSGS. We have also found mutations in developmental genes as conferring risk of kidney disease in adulthood. These have formed major projects that are being pursued in the laboratory currently.

My research interest aligns with my clinical practice in adult nephrology. I focus on hereditary kidney disease, and I am able to integrate new knowledge directly into patient care. My clinic at UHN is one of the few clinics in North America to focus on genetic disorders of the kidney glomerulus. My clinic is staffed with a genetic counsellor and our unique focus in kidney medicine has led to our involvement in clinical studies that utilize novel agents targeting rare genetic renal disorders. More information is available at: www.barualab.com or you can follow me at @MoumitaBaruaTO.