Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease 2026

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY: 2026 Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease: Next Generation This NIH R13 grant application seeks support for a travel award program for the upcoming 2026 conference entitled “Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease: Next Generation”. The American Physiological Society is sponsoring this conference, which is scheduled for June 22-26, 2026 in Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, Wisconsin. There are several major translational and therapeutic areas included in the meeting that have relevance to the scientific community. To encourage engagement and participation of trainees and early career investigators in the field, we propose implementing an NIH-funded travel award program specifically designed to support their attendance at the conference. Nearly half of U.S adults have hypertension, and among those affected, only 24% have their blood pressure under control. Both clinical and preclinical studies have demonstrated that hypertension alters the kidney's ability to maintain salt and water homeostasis through disruptions in renal hemodynamics and inflammation-driven mechanisms. Thus, the kidney is central to the pathogenesis of hypertension and is a major target of end-organ-damage, which further exacerbates hypertension. Furthermore, the rising prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes has significantly contributed to the increasing incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Also, the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasing, driven by a rise in ischemic and nephrotoxic events. As such, it is essential to deepen our understanding of how hypertension, CKD, and AKI contribute to the development of kidney injury. Over the past 5 years, several novel methodologies have emerged for studying kidney function and disease, offering valuable insights for both renal physiologists and nephrologists alike. Therefore, there is a strong need within the scientific community for a dedicated conference addressing these critical topics. The organizing committee has designed a meeting program that highlights emerging areas in kidney function and disease including symposia on topics such as obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome; inflammation and the kidney; developmental programming of kidney disease; genetics, epigenetics of the kidney; immunology and the kidney, circadian biology of kidney function, single cell RNAseq and spatial transcriptomics in kidney disease and organoids. The symposia will also explore recent advances in established areas of renal research including hemodynamics, acute kidney injury, integrative control of kidney function, chronic kidney disease, autocoids and the impact of nutrition on kidney function and hypertension.