Methods in Kidney Cell Biology Part B

Dr. Weimbs received his doctoral degree from the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Cologne, Germany, in 1993. He conducted postdoctoral research with Keith Mostov at the Department of Anatomy, University of California at San Francisco until 1999 where he investigated the role of SNARE proteins in membrane trafficking and epithelial cell polarity. In 1999, he joined the Department of Cell Biology in the Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland Clinic as an Assistant Professor where he established his own research laboratory. Besides continuing his work on SNAREs and epithelial cell polarity his laboratory began to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying polycystic kidney disease (PKD). In 2005, Dr. Weimbs moved his lab to the University of California in Santa Barbara where he is currently a Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Research on PKD in Dr. Weimbs’ laboratory has contributed to our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis and the function of polycystin-1, the protein affected in this disease. These contributions include the roles of mTOR and STAT signaling in PKD. Recent work has focused on developing new kidney-targeted therapeutics, the role of metabolic changes and tubular crystal deposition in PKD disease progression, and the use of dietary interventions for PKD therapy.

University of California, Santa Barbara, USA