The Nephrology Division had a leadership role in each of previous NIH sponsored National Collaborative Renal Clinical Trial, including the Nephrotic Syndrome trial, the Lupus-Plasmapheresis trial, the Modification of Diet in Renal Diseases study, and the Captopril therapy in Diabetic Nephropathy trial. Currently we are participating in the NIH sponsored African-American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension. When inpatient research evaluations are necessary, we have full use of an NIH sponsored General Clinical Research Center.

The Research Laboratories of the Nephrology division are located in the Heart and Lung Research Institute (HLRI). Tissue culture, molecular biologic and basic biochemical investigations are all performed in the Nephrology division laboratories. When animal studies are indicated we have the use of two large vivariums, both on the hospital campus. Active projects in basic investigation include delineation of complement-induced pathways of renal injury, the role of lipids and cytokines as inflammatory mediators, development of urinary proteomics, and genetic studies of gene expression.