Centre for Transplant and Renal Research

Led by Professor Philip O'Connell and Professor Natasha Rogers, there are two broad themes within the Centre: transplantation and renal research. A major focus of the Transplant stream has been the development of cell-based therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes. In this work CTRR is developing alternate beta cells and for transplantation and studies ways to prevent rejection and how to boost long term outcomes. The Kidney injury group has a focus on the molecular pathways involves in kidney resuscitation prior to transplantation and the Transplant Genomics group identifies biomarkers that predict long and short term graft outcomes. The second major focus of CTRR is renal research. This research tries to understand the underlying processes of chronic kidney disease and to develop ways of slowing disease progression. One focus of this research is cystic renal disease, with preclinical and clinical research projects aimed at preventing kidney failure due to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Our research focus

  • Development of cell-based therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes
  • Molecular pathways involves in kidney resuscitation prior to transplantation
  • Underlying processes of chronic kidney disease and to develop ways of slowing disease progression
  • Cystic renal disease

Research groups within this centre

Transplant Genomics Group

GROUP HEADS

Philip O’Connell, Jen Li

GROUP MEMBERS

Natasha Rogers

Kidney Injury Group

GROUP HEADS

Natasha Rogers

GROUP MEMBERS

Transplant Immunology Group

GROUP HEADS

Philip O’Connell, Min Hu

GROUP MEMBERS

Translational Transplantation Therapies Research Group

GROUP HEADS

Wayne J. Hawthorne

GROUP MEMBERS

Renal Inflammation and immunology Group

GROUP HEADS

David Harris, Qi Cao

GROUP MEMBERS

Polycystic Kidney Disease Group

GROUP HEADS

Gopi Rangan

GROUP MEMBERS

Kidney Injury Repair and Fibrosis Study Group

GROUP HEADS

Guoping Zheng

GROUP MEMBERS

Recent achievements

The Centre has strong links with Westmead Hospital with 4 clinicians/researchers leading research groups in CTRR.

Proven translational capacity of research e.g.

  • Australian first clinical trial for normothermic kidney perfusions
  • Translation of islet transplantation to the clinic
  • Improved outcome for polycystic kidney disease
  • Improving organs for transplantation
  • Identify predictive biomarkers as tools for precision medicine transplant outcomes
  • Participation in major clinical trials e.g. the Tempo 3:4 and REPRISE Trials which led to approval of tolvaptan by PBS.

Clinical issues readily inform research questions such as the introduction of genomics and personalised medicine tools for predicting transplant outcomes.

Extensive biomarkers of human tissue and concurrent data for islet transplantation and Kidney/Kidney-pancreas recipients.

Broad range of animal models for:

  • Solid organ transplantation
  • Islet transplantation
  • Acute and chronic kidney injury models
  • Machine profusion

CTRR has invitro technical strengths in immunophenotyping and IMC.

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