Inside Duke Medicine

Katsanis wins ASN Young Investigator Award

Nicholas Katsanis, Ph.D., of Duke University Medical Center has won the 2010 Young Investigator Award of the American Society of Nephrology.

His work has shown that genetic mutations in renal cystic disease are related to defects in other organ systems and centers around the primary cilium, a recently rediscovered, ancient organelle of critical importance. Much of his work has revolved around genetic diseases that affect the kidneys, as well as other organs, such as the eyes and the developing nervous system.

“This is an incredible honor,” said Katsanis. “It reflects the work of a number of investigators both in my lab and through a network of collaborators over the years. I think it also speaks to the excitement that the primary cilium has garnered in recent years, as we have begun to realize the importance of this organelle in organogenesis and tissue/organ maintenance.”

In 2006, Katsanis led a group that defined diseases of the primary cilium, or antenna-like structure, in mammalian cells, known as the ciliopathies. Diseases of the primary cilium can cause polycystic kidney disease, nephronophthisis, and Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a disease with many phenotypes, including kidney disease, retinopathy and obesity, which Dr. Katsanis has developed into a model for studying the functions of complex genetic mutations. Most recently, he has published a study that detailed a test in vertebrates (zebrafish) that could analyze the functions and interactions of all mutations in Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

Because of his promising work into complex inherited diseases, Katsanis recently was named the Jean and George Brumley Jr., M.D., Professor of Developmental Biology at Duke’s Brumley Neonatal and Perinatal Research Institute. He is also Professor of Pediatrics and Cell Biology, and Director of the Duke Center for Human Disease Modeling, a center that encourages collaborations across many scientific and medical disciplines to develop ways to understand genetic variation in patients.

As recipient of this award, Nicholas Katsanis will deliver a presentation during the plenary session at the annual meeting. The award consists of a certificate of recognition, an unrestricted grant of $5,000 to the laboratory of the awardee, and paid travel expenses to the ASN meeting.

The ASN Young Investigator Award is presented annually to an individual with an outstanding record of achievement and creativity in basic or patient-oriented research related to the functions and diseases of the kidney. This award is co-sponsored by the Council on the Kidney of the American Heart Association and is limited to individuals who are under 41 years of age by the time of the ASN annual meeting at which the award is presented, or who are fewer than eight years from the start of their first faculty or staff research scientist position beyond postdoctoral training.